More Action Needed to Support Small Businesses

Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley MSP Cathy Jamieson is calling for more help to be given to small businesses during the recession. She spoke out after attending the launch of a report by the Federation of Small Businesses on "Job Losses in Small and Micro Business."

Recommendations in the report include the need for more information to be collected at Local Authority level on job losses and pressures on small and micro businesses. The report also highlights the need for financial support to be made available to help small and micro businesses who are in short-term difficultly.

Speaking after the event, Cathy said:

"This report makes significant recommendations and it backs-up points that a number of local small businesses have made to me. I raised the issue of small and micro business owners increasingly having to put up their homes as security to get bank loans to help them through cash-flow difficulties.

"The report suggests that more could be done to make funds available to help their circumstances, and I have now written to the Enterprise Minister, Jim Mather, asking him to take this forward. I have also written to East and South Ayrshire Councils asking them to collect more information on the problem faced by small and micro businesses. The FSB report highlights that other Councils are doing this, and I hope they will follow suit.

"Small and micro businesses are the backbone of many towns and villages in my constituency and they should get support in the way that larger businesses do."