The letter reads: “As we approach the government’s first 100 days in office I thought I’d let your readers know what the coalition has done to reverse the [...]]]> MP for Beverley and Holderness, Graham Stuart, has written to newspapers in the East Riding outlining the work the new Government has done to promote and protect business.

The letter reads: “As we approach the government’s first 100 days in office I thought I’d let your readers know what the coalition has done to reverse the rise in unemployment left by Labour particularly by support for smaller businesses.

“First off we’ve moved to stop tax rises on small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

“The previous Government wanted to hit SMEs with a tax hike on both the small profits rate and National Insurance Contributions (NICs). Instead this Government will reduce the small profits rate to 20%, instead of the last Government’s planned increase to 22%, from April 2011 and reverse the planned increase in National Insurance Contributions.

“Indeed the threshold for employer NICs will rise by £21, above indexation. This will increase the number of employees for whom employers pay no NICs by 650,000.

“Finally there will be a review of small business taxation, including IR35 regulations, to create a simpler, more predictable tax regime.

“Red tape and over regulation will also be peeled away to allow business to flourish. The most obvious way this will be done is by introducing a system of regulation control whereby Ministers must first show how they will reduce the existing burden of regulation before bringing forward new regulations.

“Alongside this will be a review of all regulations the last Government scheduled for introduction over the coming year.

“There will be help for new firms. For the next three years new businesses in Yorkshire will not have to pay the first £5,000 of class 1 national insurance contributions in the first year that they employ someone. This will encourage new jobs and new businesses.

“Rules will also be relaxed to allow social tenants to start their own businesses at home.

“There will be better access to funding with the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) increased by £200 million to support £700 million of additional lending until 31 March 2011.

“And a Growth Capital Fund is being created to support established businesses wanting to invest for the future.

“Together these measures represent positive action which will help the bottom line of small and medium-sized businesses across the country and across Yorkshire.

“Despite the disastrous inheritance left by Labour even the first 100 days have seen positive action to get Britain working again and make sure more people in Yorkshire have a job and a positive future.”

 The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign Office, Alistair Burt MP, responding to constituents concerns, raised by Graham, said there was ‘no suggestion’ the spill reflected badly on British [...]]]> BP should remain a ‘strong and viable’ company despite the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, MP for Beverley and Holderness has been told by Government.

 The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign Office, Alistair Burt MP, responding to constituents concerns, raised by Graham, said there was ‘no suggestion’ the spill reflected badly on British business.

Graham has been approached by several constituents who feared the impact of the disaster would affect their pensions as the BP share price fell.

 He said: “The explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig on April 20 and subsequent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a human and environmental tragedy.

 “The US authorities and BP continue to do all they can to stop the leak and clean up the oil. And the Minister has told me the UK Government has been in close contact with the US Government and BP throughout and has offered assistance.”

 He added David Cameron, the Prime Minister, has discussed the situation and its effect on BP share prices with President Obama on several occasions.

 The letter from the Minister said: “The President made clear that there was no suggestion that this disaster reflected badly on the UK or British business and that the UK/US relationship remained strong. They agreed that BP was a strong and viable company and that it was in all of our interests that it remained so.”

 Graham added: “I can fully understand the fears some of my constituents have about the state of the BP share price.

 “I hope this answer from the Minister give my constituents some comfort. I will be keeping a close eye on developments and will take any future concerns to the Government should the need arise.”

“It is a pleasure to take part in the debate. I congratulate my hon. Friend Mark Simmonds on doing so much to highlight the needs and interests of coastal towns by producing the report “No Longer the End of the Line” and [...]]]> Graham took part in a Coastal Towns debate. Here is his speech in full:

“It is a pleasure to take part in the debate. I congratulate my hon. Friend Mark Simmonds on doing so much to highlight the needs and interests of coastal towns by producing the report “No Longer the End of the Line” and through his efforts today. Not only is he handsome and charismatic-he particularly liked that phrase when I asked him what I could say about him-but he has made a fine speech and he does a fine job on behalf of coastal towns.

“Rather like my rugged friend, coastal towns sometimes fail to recognise all their qualities, but they are in fact tremendous, positive centres. To pick up on the point raised by my hon. Friend Paul Maynard, we really need to celebrate coastal towns and what they do. As my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness said, they employ many people and they are great centres. Although there are issues about houses in multiple occupation and other aspects of housing, coastal towns often provide relatively low-cost housing, and they have acted as havens that people can live in and enjoy, albeit that that was the result of the previous Government’s failure to build houses elsewhere.

“Overall, coastal towns are tremendous places to live, and the people who live in them love them. Sometimes they get a bit down, because coastal towns can be a bit inward looking; they can slag themselves off and see themselves as not being tremendously interesting or dynamic, and young people often look to leave. However, it is easy for people in coastal towns to underestimate the strength of what is on offer and their economic future, and I agree with what other hon. Members have said in that respect.

Given the state of the public finances that we have inherited from the previous Government, it will fall more than ever to local people-town councillors, county councillors and entrepreneurs-to step up to the mark. The Government are constrained in what they can do to promote coastal towns, and they need, most importantly, to get out of the way of entrepreneurs who want to make money and to build businesses, profits and employment. The incoming coalition Government have therefore done a number of things significantly to boost coastal towns, as has been said.

“I want, however, to focus on an essential component of a successful seaside town economy-the amusement arcade. Colleagues smile, which I am sure is partly because they have enjoyed time in amusement arcades and because of the quintessential nature of such places. However, arcades are an important part of what is on offer in coastal towns; they provide a focus, and many retailers around them rely on the footfall that they bring with them.

“Typically, arcades are small family businesses, and many have been operating for generations. The traditional amusement arcade machine sector is extremely fragile, and there has been a tremendous loss of jobs over recent years. The sector has experienced an average 21% reduction in revenues since 1 September 2007, and a lot of that dates back to the Gambling Act 2005, although, to a small extent, it also reflects the impact of the smoking ban and the downturn. Every week brings further business closures and redundancies, damaging local economies, communities and tourism. The British Amusement Catering Trades Association estimates that at least 216 arcades have been lost, representing 1,350 jobs.

“Recent arcade machine manufacturing figures give an indication of the future for arcades. If arcades do not invest in new machines and do not replenish and renew their offer, they will be less attractive, so the manufacturing sector acts as a real indicator of their future business. Recent manufacturing figures indicate that annual machine production-that production takes place in this country and is an important employer-has fallen from 55,000 machines a year to 12,000. Two associated companies have been forced into liquidation this week, so we need action, and we need it soon.

“William Clark, a constituent, was born in a flat above the Withernsea amusement arcade that his father opened 50 years ago, and he now runs 28 arcades in Yorkshire. He told me:

“We had 500 employees 3 years ago. Now we are down to 220. Three to four years ago I spent £1.4 million on new equipment. Last year it was £100,000…The cause of this was the provisions of the Gambling Act”-

which was brought in so thoughtlessly by the previous Government-

“preventing amusement arcades from having £2 stake machines. If the intention of this was to ban these machines, why are they still allowed in bookmakers, a far harder gambling environment?”

“Why did the previous Government pick on family amusement arcades and boost hard gambling centres in betting shops?

“Mr Clark says that owner-operators are an integral part of the local community and economy. As small business owners, however, they are hit disproportionately by the weight of regulation. He says:

“The new regulation and bureaucracy is forcing owner-operators out of business. I pay approximately £70,000 in regulatory fees alone.”

“That is because of the quango that regulates this area. The coalition promised to do something. Mr Clark says:

“David Cameron said before the election that he supported the reintroduction of the £2 stake machine. We are asking for the government to deliver their promise. If they got their finger out Seaside arcade operators could benefit this summer.”

“There are so many issues on which we need long-term thinking and vision. However, on this issue, which is absolutely at the heart of the business community, employment and what is on offer in coastal towns, which depend on tourism, the Minister could do something soon, and I ask him to do so.”