Government pledges support on debut small business Saturday
MINISTERS pledged to support small businesses during small business Saturday this weekend.
In the first event of its kind in the UK, David Cameron visited local shops in Buckinghamshire and business secretary Vince Cable unveiled a package of measures to help small businesses thrive as the economy begins to recover.
The commitments include a broadband scheme which will see 22 cities benefit from broadband vouchers worth up to £3,000, a deal to ensure energy bills are fair, help to win a share of £230bn worth of public sector contracts and action on late payments.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of the British economy and responsible for nearly half the job creation in the UK,” enterprise and skills minister Matthew Hancock MP said. “That’s why we are removing barriers to growth and supporting them, so that they can create jobs and compete in the global race.”
The initiative was championed by Labour’s shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna, who called it “a fantastic success,” adding: “ I knew it had the potential to capture the national imagination, but never in my wildest dreams did I think it would do so on such a big scale.”