The West of England’s property industry has rounded on Chancellor Philip Hammond, accusing him of failing to listen to pleas to ease the burden of higher business rates. While the Budget included measures to help some business, critics called it too little, too late and said most still faced swingeing increases. Business rate experts at...
The Local Government Association (LGA) welcomed the move giving councils £300m to provide discretionary business rates relief. Chair of its resources board, Claire Kober, said: “We have long argued that giving councils the freedom and funding to set discounts and reliefs locally would help them better support small businesses and local economies. “We are...
Business West, the region’s largest business organisation, described Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Spring Budget as “underwhelming” but warned there were some measures that will make firms nervous. These included the National Insurance increase for the self-employed – which it feared could dampen entrepreneurship – and the impact of business rate rises, despite help for some...
Business organisation the CBI’s director-general Carolyn Fairbairn described today’s Budget as a “breakthrough for skills”. She said: “There has never been a more important time for the UK to sit at the global top table of technical education for young people. “Firms will be looking for ongoing partnership with the government as they try...
Chancellor Philip Hammond announced new funding to help the UK compete in science and innovation in his spring Budget, including: £300m for research talent, including 1,000 PhD places for STEM subjects £270m for robots, driverless cars and biotech £16m for a 5G mobile technology hub £200m for fibre broadband
Chancellor Philip Hammond has delivered his spring Budget. He said the aim was to “build an economy that works for everyone” and prepare Britian for a brighter future. In the light of intense lobbying from business groups concerned about the impact of this year’s business rates reform he announced: No business losing small business rate...
