Fiona
Bruce MP introduces Annual Family Business Reception in Parliament
Fiona Bruce
introduced the annual Family Business Reception in Parliament at which almost
200 business people from across the country gathered to highlight the
contribution and importance to the economy of family businesses.
Speaking at the event, Fiona Bruce commented "This Government has a completely different approach to the support of small business compared with the previous one. The Government has cut National Insurance for every business by up to £2000 - that means 450,000 small business or a third of all employers will pay no National Insurance this year. NI is alaso being abolished for those under 21 making it easier to employ young people."
Fiona Bruce continued "Corporation Tax is also cut from 28% to 20%, and almost 400,000 small firms are paying no business rates at all because of the Government's doubling of Business Rate Relief. The Government has set a goal of giving 25% of Government contracts to small and medium sized businesses and has reduced the burden of employment law so businesses are more likely to take on new staff."
Fiona’s
speech appears below:
APPG for Family Business Annual
Reception
19th
November 2014, 7-9pm (speeches 7.30pm)
The family
business sector is a great British success story. The three million family businesses operating
today cover the length and breadth of the country, in all sectors, from micro
firms to large multinational brands.
Some of these companies are working hard to make that crucial first
handover between generations. Others are
now many hundreds of years old, established household names, but with their own
challenges to face.
What these
amazing businesses all have in common is their commitment to maintaining their
strong family values, and their long term outlook. Family businesses building on their success
to pass something better on to the generations to come.
As well being
an MP and a member of the APPG, I have also developed a business in Cheshire
over almost twenty five years before entering Parliament, in which several
members of my family have worked or do work today and I know first-hand
therefore, what dedication, commitment and hard work goes into launching and
making local business work – it really can be an ‘open all hours’ job at times.
The Institute
for Family Business, who sponsor the APPG and have handled all the arrangements
to bring us together tonight, have this month also published the Family
Business Manifesto. This is the first
publication of its type by the family business sector, and if you haven’t yet
seen it there are copies available here tonight.
I’m delighted
to see the message that family businesses are a bedrock of our communities and
local economies, being delivered direct to Government and
parliamentarians. As policy makers we
need to hear from family firms about what we can do to help them grow, to
employ more people, and to be able to pass on successful businesses. We need to understand the situation for
family businesses on the ground and how we can support them – our economic
recovery must be led by business, and a positive long term outlook for local
business is what we need for sustainable economic growth.
