Member Article

SMEs sceptical of Local Government Finance Act

Small businesses remain unconvinced about the Government’s plan to hand local authorities more control over how they spend public money in their area, according to research from the Forum of Private Business (FPB).

The Forum’s head of policy, Alex Jackman said that “This research really raises the question whether businesses even want this at all.”

The UK’s local government finance system is one of the most centralised in the world. But businesses are doubtful that measures contained in the Local Government Finance Act - such as redistribution of money from additional business rates - will actually benefit them.

The FPB’s research found that, of the firms surveyed:

over half (56%) of FPB members believe the changes allowing councils and local businesses to consul

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Katherine Ogilvie .