{"id":57021,"date":"2015-05-19T13:23:56","date_gmt":"2015-05-19T13:23:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=a31a703ad69ddd8555c19d4b1f5ce68e"},"modified":"2015-05-19T13:23:56","modified_gmt":"2015-05-19T13:23:56","slug":"speech-support-for-small-business-government-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=57021","title":{"rendered":"Speech: Support for small business: government plans"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

I\u2019m delighted to be back in my home town of Bristol.<\/p>\n

And to be here at Engine Shed \u2013 a place that captures everything that\u2019s great about this city\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026past, present and future.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re in part of the original Temple Meads train station, designed by Brunel.<\/p>\n

Today \u2013 thanks to Bristol University and the city council \u2013 there are promising start-ups here. <\/p>\n

There are app developers and apprentices in residence \u2013 the business creators and skilled workers of the future. I\u2019ve had the pleasure of seeing some fantastic examples already this morning.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the perfect spot for me to talk about the government\u2019s plans for business\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026in the city where I learned almost every important thing about business.<\/p>\n

The business in question was beneath the flat on Stapleton Road \u2013 which I shared with my parents and 4 brothers.<\/p>\n

It was a clothes shop\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026the basis of my deep knowledge of ladies\u2019 clothing. <\/p>\n

I\u2019m certain no male MP knows more about womenswear. At least, I think that\u2019s true.<\/p>\n

But, most important, it was the culmination of my parents\u2019 ambitions.<\/p>\n

They came to this country in 1964 with dreams of a better life.<\/p>\n

My dad started off working in a cotton mill.<\/p>\n

Then he drove buses. <\/p>\n

And, at weekends, he ran a clothing stall at the local market. <\/p>\n

As trade grew, he got extra pitches \u2013 in Rochdale, Manchester and Liverpool.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile my mum was back at home \u2013 looking after us and making clothes for the stall.<\/p>\n

The sound of my childhood was her Singer sewing machine hammering away in the background.<\/p>\n

Later, we got the shop on Stapleton Road.<\/p>\n

Therein lay the soul of my family.<\/p>\n

It was a 24\/7 concern.<\/p>\n

We all mucked in. I remember, aged 10, properly helping Dad. <\/p>\n

Wearing the moneybelt, helping the customers, being in control.<\/p>\n

Our fortunes, our happiness \u2013 they fluctuated with the day\u2019s takings.<\/p>\n

It instilled in me an unwavering belief in enterprise, opportunity and reward for hard work.<\/p>\n

Above all, I know what it\u2019s like to run a small business.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I\u2019m here today to talk about what this government will do to support you.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m here to expand on what David Cameron said while visiting the Tetley factory in Stockton-on-Tees last week. <\/p>\n

To add another tea bag to the pot.<\/p>\n

The Prime Minister said this would be a government delivering for working people. <\/p>\n

For hardworking taxpayers.<\/p>\n

For men and women giving them the dignity of a job and the pride of a pay check.<\/p>\n

He promised we would train 3 million more apprentices.<\/p>\n

Improve childcare for people who want to work, or work longer.<\/p>\n

And cut taxes.<\/p>\n

The momentum we\u2019ve gained over the last 5 years is for all to see. <\/p>\n

2.2 million private sector jobs created since 2010\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2026meaning we now have in the UK record employment.<\/p>\n

750,000 more businesses created since 2010.<\/p>\n

Almost 28,000 recipients of start-up loans\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2026realising the dream of running and owning a business\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2026in places like Bristol. <\/p>\n

Make no mistake. <\/p>\n

Government isn\u2019t responsible for this entrepreneurial boom. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s down to individuals alone. <\/p>\n

People with the guts and gumption to risk everything on starting something from scratch.<\/p>\n

Meaning parents can bring home a family wage.<\/p>\n

Putting communities back to work locally.<\/p>\n

Planting the seeds of regional recovery and economic recovery. <\/p>\n

\u2026the strongest in the G7, the healthiest in Europe.<\/p>\n

Thanks to them \u2013 thanks to you \u2013 Britain can look forward with greater confidence.<\/p>\n

Yes, Britain is a nation of shopkeepers\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2026of plumbers and hairdressers, florists and caf\u00e9 owners.<\/p>\n

Our great nation \u2013 together, strong, on the road to prosperity, as one.<\/p>\n

And we\u2019ve been on the side of business.<\/p>\n

We cut corporation tax so the UK rate is now the lowest in the western world. <\/p>\n

We cut national insurance contributions.<\/p>\n

We cut the cost of regulation on UK business by some \u00a310 billion.<\/p>\n

And by getting on top of the deficit, we helped keep interest rates and funding rates low.<\/p>\n

During the election, we promised to do more for business. Much more. <\/p>\n

As one of our first acts, we\u2019re introducing the enterprise bill. <\/p>\n

Some people might know my love of Star Trek. <\/p>\n

I wanted to call it the Starship Enterprise Bill, but the Prime Minister wasn\u2019t convinced.<\/p>\n

First and foremost, it will serve the interests of small business.<\/p>\n

Second, it will simplify and clarify the business environment in this country.<\/p>\n

And third, it will focus on jobs\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2026so employers can create those additional 2 million jobs<\/p>\n

\u2026and their focus on growth isn\u2019t obstructed by disproportionate industrial action.<\/p>\n

So let me describe the next steps on deregulation \u2013 on paring back bureaucracy.<\/p>\n

The manifesto promises a further \u00a310 billion of cuts in red tape over the coming Parliament. <\/p>\n

This \u00a310 billion is going to be harder to slash than the previous \u00a310 billion. <\/p>\n

Recent reforms have already started to make a big difference.<\/p>\n

Simpler audits for small business.<\/p>\n

Less bureaucracy for house builders and developers.<\/p>\n

Fewer employment disputes reaching costly tribunals. <\/p>\n

Car mechanics and valets no longer have to do training that\u2019s only useful to lorry drivers.<\/p>\n

Child-minders no longer have to self-register as a food business.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of live music and community events now exempted from entertainment licensing.<\/p>\n

Thousands of regular businesses no longer face health and safety inspections.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s less of the stuff that sometimes invites utter derision.<\/p>\n

So no more slaps on the wrist for no-smoking signs in the wrong size or in the wrong place.<\/p>\n

No need anymore to report any sightings of grey squirrels on your property.<\/p>\n

If you leave your sandwich on the bus, the bus company no longer needs to hold on to it for 48 hours before putting it in the bin.<\/p>\n

And, come Christmas, you can buy a box of crackers without having achieved the age of consent.<\/p>\n

We already have the lowest burden of regulation in the G7.<\/p>\n

But now we\u2019re going to tackle European regulation head on\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026pressing EU institutions to reduce needless burdens on business\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2026ensuring we implement EU law in a way that doesn\u2019t put UK business at a competitive disadvantage.<\/p>\n

Over the next 5 years, we\u2019ll build on the success of \u2018One in, two out\u2019<\/a> to put a strict brake on new regs. <\/p>\n

For the first time, the actions of regulators will be counted towards achieving the overall \u00a310 billion in cuts.<\/p>\n

This will be the first time in modern history that government has successively reduced red tape and continued with reductions in the next parliament.<\/p>\n

And business will be our partner\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026giving us the evidence we need to roll back the state.<\/p>\n

One crucial aspect of this roll back will be the extension of the rule that is known as Primary Authority<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Primary Authority allows a business to get advice on regulation from a single local council.<\/p>\n

This advice must then be respected by all other local councils\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2026reducing the time and cost to businesses of having to obey multiple masters.<\/p>\n

When Primary Authority came in, the purpose was to help larger firms trading nationwide.<\/p>\n

But it was so successful that we opened it to small business in 2013.<\/p>\n

Today, more than two-thirds of the businesses taking advantage of Primary Authority are small businesses.<\/p>\n

It frees them from inconsistent and confusing red tape.<\/p>\n

It reduces their operational costs, and allows them to focus on expansion. <\/p>\n

Butchers\u2019 shops, convenience stores, restaurants, manufacturers.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Primary Authority, cheese makers don\u2019t have to display their cheddar on wooden boards in one place and on steel platters in another.<\/p>\n

Yet only a tiny fraction of small businesses who could benefit are actually doing so.<\/p>\n

So we\u2019re going to simplify Primary Authority itself\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2026making it far easier for small businesses to access the scheme.<\/p>\n

And we\u2019re going to extend its reach.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s one more area I wish to cover this morning. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a subject that\u2019s exercised me for some time.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a situation familiar to small business owners up and down the country.<\/p>\n

A letter turns up from a larger customer changing payment terms\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2026or charging them to remain a supplier\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026and in some cases even deducting that charge on the spot against payment owed.<\/p>\n

This pattern of behaviour is an outrage.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s bullying \u2013 pure and simple.<\/p>\n

In 2008, late payment alone cost British business \u00a319 billion.<\/p>\n

This year, that\u2019s set to exceed \u00a340 billion. <\/p>\n

The average amount owed to a small business is more than \u00a330,000. <\/p>\n

You know as well as I what figures like that can do to the cash flow of small businesses. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s enough to force a company into insolvency.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve not been blind to these issues. <\/p>\n

During the last Parliament, we introduced legislation requiring the UK\u2019s largest companies to report on their payment practices<\/a>. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s going to shine a light on poor performance when it comes into effect next April.<\/p>\n

Recent U-turns show that public scrutiny can make big firms mend their ways.<\/p>\n

We also strengthened the Prompt Payment Code<\/a> to introduce a maximum 60 day payment term\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026and promote 30 days as the norm. <\/p>\n

Government has rightly been leading by example. <\/p>\n

We pay our suppliers within 30 days.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve brought in measures requiring all public sector contracts to pay out within 30 days\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026all the way down the supply chain. <\/p>\n

Now, we\u2019re going to widen the powers for representative bodies to act on behalf of their members to challenge grossly unfair payment terms. <\/p>\n

There\u2019ll be a consultation on this later this year.<\/p>\n

And we will fulfil the manifesto pledge to set up a Small Business Conciliation Service\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026to help small businesses settle their problems with large corporations.<\/p>\n

The purpose is to avoid expensive legal costs and maintain business relationships by reaching mutually satisfactory agreements.<\/p>\n

This model has worked in Australia. <\/p>\n

We will explore it, and other models, and find what works best here in the UK.<\/p>\n

Now this isn\u2019t the sum total of what we\u2019re planning to do.<\/p>\n

Far from it. <\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to review business rates.<\/p>\n

From April next year, no employer will pay national insurance for apprentices under 25. <\/p>\n

Some of this action will require legislation and will be announced in the Queen\u2019s speech. Some won\u2019t need new legislation.<\/p>\n

Either way, my message to you is clear.<\/p>\n

If you believe in the values of hard work and enterprise, then we think along exactly the same lines.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re behind a shop counter, behind the wheel of the van, behind a new invention\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026then we are right behind you.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re striving to do what my parents did a generation ago \u2013 here in Bristol or anywhere else in Britain\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026build a business, create jobs, improve the prospects of your children\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026then you have my utmost respect, and you will have my total support.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sajid Javid sets out his priorities for supporting Britain’s small businesses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57021"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=57021"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57021\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=57021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=57021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=57021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}