The Live Wire



Press Release

FSB calls for common sense policy on business rates

23 November 2006

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has once again stressed the importance of uniform business rates, following calls from the Local Government Association to return rate-setting powers to local authorities.

The FSB pointed out that when business rates were controlled by local authorities, small businesses in some areas were seen as a soft target and faced massive rises.

The FSB called on Sir Michael Lyons, who is conducting an inquiry into local government funding, to keep business rates the preserve of central government so that small businesses are not taxed disproportionately.

John Walker, FSB Policy Chairman, said:

“Small businesses are the life-blood of communities, providing employment and essential services for local people. Nationally they generate over half of UK GDP and employ more than 12 million people.

“It is vitally important that they continue to get the certainty of stable, centrally-set business rates so that competition between them is free and fair.

“Returning the setting of business rates to local authority control could cause an almighty mess and it is small businesses that are most likely to be at the sharp end.”



Press releases, papers and documents published on this page are the intellectual property of an organisation unrelated to Central Lobby. We promote their parliamentary and political campaigning activities as they are subscribers to the Central Lobby service.

As such, Central Lobby does not edit, endorse, or attempt to balance the opinions expressed on this page. The content of press releases and other such types of content are the responsibility of the originating organisation.

Federation of Small Businesses

Federation of Small Businesses

More from Dods

© Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd