Industry News
23rd October 2008
Government Launches 'Solution for Business'
Business Secretary Peter Mandelson has launched 'Solutions for Business - funded by government' comprising a national package of publicly funded business support products to be accessed via Business Link, aiming to make it easier for all companies to find the right products to help them tackle issues such as getting started, growing, finance, export, skills, innovation and the environment. Mandelson said "Better business support is about better customer service - reducing backroom wastage and delivering greater impact with the same resources. [Business Support Simplification Programme] is about helping the UK to become the most enterprising economy in the world".
23rd October 2008
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill Passes Commons
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill has passed third reading in the Commons. Ministers faced criticised for excluding abortion from the debate though running out of time for discussion. View the debate and division
22nd October 2008
8 Candidates to Contest Glenrothes By-Election
Eight candidates will contest the Glenrothes by-election on 6th November: Morag Balfour, Scottish Socialist Party; Maurice Golden, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party; Peter Grant, Scottish National Party; Louise McLeary, Solidarity; Jim Parker, Scottish Senior Citizens' Unity Party; Lindsay Roy, Scottish Labour Party; Kris Seunarine, UKIP; Harry Wills, Scottish Liberal Democrats.
22nd October 2008
Mandelson Moves to Support SMEs
The Government has announced a support package for SMEs that focusses on helping them deal with cash flow, training for staff and access to finance in the current economic climate. The measures include committing central Government and others in the supply chain to paying firms within 10 days, offering business health checks and financial advice and information through both Business Link and the Institute of Credit Management. Secretary of State for Business Peter Mandelson said "We are on the side of small and medium sized businesses and understand that they are facing tough times. The Government has taken steps to ensure that banks can start lending to them again. But we're determined to do more". The Federation of Small Businesses responded that the moves were “going along the right lines". Read the FSB response.
22nd October 2008
Bank of England Governor - Likely UK Recession
In a speech to business leaders in Leeds, the Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, noted that "it now seems likely that the UK economy is entering a recession". Addressing the CBI, Institute of Directors, Leeds Chamber of Commerce and Yorkshire Forward, King continued that "With the bank recapitalisation plan in place, we now face a long, slow haul to restore lending to the real economy, and hence growth of our economy, to more normal conditions. The past few weeks have been somewhat too exciting. The actions that were taken were not designed to save the banks as such, but to protect the rest of the economy from the banks". Download the full speech.
22nd October 2008
Rothschild, Osborne & Deripaska
Allegations continue from Nathanial Rothschild on the issue of the Shadow Chancellor George Osborne and the Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska. In a letter to The Times newspaper Rothschild writes "...George Osborne, who also accepted my hospitality, found the opportunity of meeting with Mr. Deripaska so good that he invited the Conservatives' fund raiser Andrew Feldman, who was staying nearby, to accompany him on to Mr. Deripaska's boat to solicit a donation". Read the Osborne statement on the meetings.
21st October 2008
LibDems Criticise Massive Rise in Top Civil Servants Pension Pots
Research by the Liberal Democrats has criticised the growing cost of top civil servants’ pension pots, which it revealed have grown from £16m to a whopping £138m in the last year. Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Jenny Willott said “The Government has to come clean about how much taxpayers are forking out on civil servants’ pensions. These shocking figures are just the tip of the iceberg...It is time to look again at whether taxpayers can afford to provide such generous pensions". Read the full details of the pension amounts
21st October 2008
Liberal Democrat Gain in Guardian/ICM Poll
A Guardian/ICM poll shows the Liberal Democrats are the current winners in the political fray, moving up to 21% taking gains from smaller parties. The Conservatives remain out front with 42%, with Labour down the field still on 30%. The Prime Minister is viewed by 61% that he has done well in handling the financial crisis. Read the full data
19th October 2008
Cameron Urges Support for SMEs
Writing in The Observer, Conservative Leader David Cameron called on the Government to ease VAT burdens for SMEs by allowing them to defer their bills for six months, whilst urging the proposed 2p increase in corporation tax to be scrapped. Cameron said "Britain's small businesses need our help. We intervened to prevent the beating heart of our economy - the financial system - from collapsing. We've got to do the same for its lifeblood".
19th October 2008
Salmond Calls for 'Age of Responsibility' at SNP Conference
Scottish First Minister and SNP Party Leader Alex Salmond has accused Gordon Brown of authoring the economic and financial "age of irresponsibility" at his speech to the Party's Conference in Perth. Salmond said "Where did this age of irresponsibility come from? Who broke down the barriers in the financial sector? Who presided over the inflation of asset values? Who allowed the spivs and speculators of the £40 TRILLION derivatives markets - the financial weapons of mass destruction - to be totally unregulated? It might just have had something to do with the occupant of 10 and 11 Downing Street over these last eleven years". Salmond continued that what Scotland needs is "a new age - an age of responsibility. A new time for our nation - when we reap our own harvest and ring our own till". Read the full speech
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