Sandra White has today highlighted the support of English and Welsh businesses for the SNP's Small Business Bonus.

A survey by The Forum of Private Business found that 84% of businesses in England and Wales backed the SNP's Small Business Bonus Scheme.

Ms White also challenged Labour to support the Small Business Bonus and acknowledge the positive impact it is having across Scotland.
 

Speaking ahead of a debate on the Small Business Bonus Ms White said: "The SNP's small business bonus has been welcomed across Scotland and now it seems it has a fan club south of the border.  The only people who seem to be against supporting our small businesses are the Labour party.

"Businesses in my local area are thrilled with the business bonus and are already making plans for investing the savings in their business – now businesses south of the border are looking on in envy.

"The support of businesses in England and Wales for the measures the SNP has taken to boost small business is in stark contrast to their lack of confidence in Alasdair Darling, Gordon Brown and the UK Government.

"As Labour MSP Lord Foulkes himself has said, the SNP is deliberately making Scotland a better place.

"150,000 businesses can benefit from the Small Business Bonus and instead of the carping negativity of the Labour party, MSPs should be playing their part in ensuring all local businesses have applied for their bonus."

Notes: 

1. Forum of Private Business - Survey, 18th April 2008

Small Business Rate Relief
"84% of respondents would like to see England and Wales follow Scotland's lead and allow more businesses to qualify for small business rates relief by increasing the threshold. The Scottish Government has taken the decision to introduce a new small business bonus scheme, reducing or removing rates for 150,000 small business properties in Scotland. Our members would like to see the creation of a level playing field to benefit their businesses and others, and feel the Government should acknowledge the importance of smaller firms to the UK's economy by raising the threshold.

The 2008 budget
"Members were asked about their confidence, prior to the 2008 budget announcements, that the concerns of smaller firms would be addressed having a positive effect on business. 82% were not confident that the budget announcements would bring any positive changes for smaller companies. This lack of confidence has built up as a result of the Chancellors Pre-budget report of October 2007 and the announced changes to Capital Gains Tax, supplementary business rates and income shifting."

The Forum of Private Business represents 25,000 businesses mall firms in the UK.

2. Scotland at Ten, 25th February 2008

LORD GEORGE FOULKES: "The SNP are on a very dangerous tack at the moment. What they are doing is trying to build up  a situation in Scotland where the services are manifestly better than south of the Border in a number of areas."

COLIN MACKAY : "Is that a bad thing?"

LORD GEORGE FOULKES: "No. But they are doing it deliberately..."