Small businesses are such a vital and vibrant part of Britain with a record 5.4 million small businesses in the UK, providing jobs for nearly 26 million people. The success of our economy is built on the hard work and determination of the people who run and work for them. 
I am continuing to champion additional measures to support local businesses and I am pleased that many policies and initiatives have been introduced which are designed to support small business.  In late November I was delighted to welcome Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills to Marlborough where he met local businesses and spoke about the measures that the Government. 

• Tax Cuts for Businesses - Corporation tax has been cut to 20 per cent and and the annual investment allowance will be permanently set at £200,000 from January 2016. The R&D tax credit for small businesses will be increased to 230 per cent. 
• Business Rates - The doubling of the small business rate relief has been extended again; the inflation-linked increases in business rates is capped at 2 per cent and businesses can now pay rates in monthly instalments. Support for high street shops and cafes has increased by 50 per cent to £1,500.
• Business rates will be devolved to local authorities by 2020 and the revenue raised from Business Rates will remain with local authorities, rather than being collected and then re-distributed by Central Government so that any local area will be able to cut business rates as much as they like, to win new jobs and generate wealth for their area.
• The Employment Allowance gives every business and charity a cash-back on jobs by reducing the employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) bill each year. At the Summer Budget 2015 the Chancellor announced that this allowance would increase to £3,000, up from £2,000.
• Employer National Insurance has been abolished for under-21 year olds on earnings under £813 per week from April 2015. This will significantly reduce the cost of employing young people by making it over £500 cheaper to employ an under-21 year old earning £12,000 and over £1,000 cheaper to employ an under-21 year old earning £16,000.
• From 2016 employer National Insurance Contributions for apprentices aged under 25 will be abolished on earnings up to the upper earning limit. This means employers of around half a million apprentices will be exempt from paying employer national insurance.
• Small businesses have been able to get cash grants to take on an apprentice and £10 billion of red tape was cut during the last Parliament.
• A new Enterprise Bill will ensure we are the best place in Europe to do business and another £10 billion of regulation will be cut by 2020. To help small businesses manage disputes, particularly over late payment, a Small Business Conciliation Service will be established.