As readers of this blog will know by now, I am a passionate supporter of reducing business rates for small firms in Wales. In devolution terms, it is the only real financial instrument available to the Welsh Assembly Government and whilst it does not have power to reduce corporation tax, it does have responsibility for business rates which affects every single business in our economy. Therefore, a...

End of March I posted this which outlined the absolute 'Horlicks' that the Assembly Government had made of providing advice to businesses in Mid Wales. To recap briefly - after many years of business advice provision by Powys County Council, (through Business Connect and Business Eye) the contract to supply the service was given to a company from outside the area called Business in Focus...

Earlier this week, I gave a speech at the Parliament for Wales debate at the National Eisteddfod to discuss how further powers could affect the business community. However, it would seem that certain sections of the Welsh Assembly Government have taken umbrage at some of the reported comments from the speech, even though none of them were actually at the event. Of course, it is easy to take such c...

For many years Powys County Council has provided an important service on behalf of the Assembly Government, dealing with enquiries for advice from businesses. The service has been delivered under the banner 'Business Eye'. After a tendering process, the Assembly Government decided to transfer the service from the Council to an out-of-county operation named 'Business in Focus'. ...

Business leaders are calling for a meeting with assembly government ministers about how economic activity can be sustained during the cold snap.

During a period of acute problems for the business sector across North Wales, it is time for the Assembly to look again at the business rates system it currently operates.As this column has pointed out over the last few months, the relief that is provided for small businesses in Wales is worse than either Scotland or England, despite the earlier promises made by one half of the Labour-Plaid Govern...

As readers of this blog will be aware, I have been a constant critic of this Assembly Government’s policy towards business rates, one of the few fiscal instruments which it has the power to reduce to help the private sector. If it isn’t bad enough that business rates are higher in Wales than the rest of the UK, what has the Assembly Government now decided to do during the worst recessi...

The business grant culture of the Welsh economy over the past 30 years is over, the assembly government is to say.

Welsh Assembly Government - Data for the Welsh Index of Business Services including sub-indices for Real Estate (excluding owner occupied dwellings), owner occupied dwellings and other business services.

The business select committee demands for a change in rules that will allow Peter Mandelson, the business secretary, to answer questions from ministers at a Commons inquiry