North East Bedfordshire MP Alistair Burt left his ministerial duties at the Foreign Office to join Bedford MP Richard Fuller on the panel.
They and Mr Hodgson tackled questions on business issues ranging from help for start-up businesses in Bedford town centre to the lack of broadband restricting economic growth in rural areas of the county.
The event, organised by networking group Business Beacon and chaired by Peter Mount, partner at event sponsor Woodfines Solicitors, took place at the Bedford Swan Hotel, home to the group’s monthly breakfast meeting.
The broadband issue was raised by Business Beacon organiser Ben von Broembsen, who runs IT support company Cirrus Tech Services.
Mr Burt opined that the panel should work together to bring BT before businesses in Bedfordshire to push along the programme.
Mr von Broembsen is now considering a Business Beacon follow-up event involving BT to debate the issue further.
He said: “We had a great turn out of key people and the panel gave some valuable and informative answers. It was not party political, it was all about business.”
