Parliamentary Statement on SME's

• Ministers will be meeting with business organisations and businesses across the country to discuss the problems they are facing. Issues discussed may include: cash flow, access to finance, higher bank charges and costs. ACS will be writing to the Minister to request a meeting and would appreciate any feedback from members on these issues or any others you may wish us to raise

• Government will pay its suppliers within 10 days to help cash flow to small business

• Treasury will press the importance of flexibility to the HMRC when it comes to dealing with tax. There will a publicity campaign around this released later this year

• Royal Bank of Scotland, Halifax Bank of Scotland and Lloyds TSB are committed to ‘maintain the availability and active marketing of competitively priced lending to SMEs at a level at least equivalent to that of 2007” as part of the Government’s recapitalisation package. The Chancellor and Peter Mandleson will be meeting banks and building societies tomorrow to discuss their policy towards small business

• Business Link advisors will provide a free health check for every small business, giving advice how to adapt to economic conditions

• SMEs are the focus £350 million of Government funs to help them get through the tough economic climate by training existing staff. All training at NVQ level 2 will be free to all SME employees and there will be free bite-size courses in business improve techniques and customer service.

 The Conservative had an opposition day debate on Monday which they called for immediate practical assistance for small businesses including prompt payment from central and local government, deferral of VAT, a cut to National Insurance, a reduction in corporation tax for small business and a greater promotion of the small business rate relief to which many are entitled, but for which not all apply. They have criticised the announcement of training funds as “reheat of old money and a recycling of old schemes”.

ACS is working with both Government and the Opposition at this time. James Lowman attended a Conservative Small Business Summit on Monday and discussed small shops with David Cameron, a press release on which can be found at www.acs.org.uk.