The FSB is delighted that MEPs have voted in favour of the Lehne Report - proposals that will enable Member States to exclude micro enterprises from the scope of the 4th Company Law Directive and thus exempt them from certain burdensome accounting requirements. If implemented in the UK the annual savings for micro entities are likely to be in the range of £103m - £403m.

From the beginning of April there are a number of new laws and regulations that affect small businesses and the FSB is highlighting these to our local SMEs. The main changes most likely to impact on business are outlined below and involve VAT, employment and H&S.

Figures from the FSB-ICM survey of 1,300 small firms show that a quarter (24%) of respondents are dissatisfied with their broadband service. There are too many "not spots" in Gloucestershire and the West of England area.

In a move that should help the survival of our local pubs in our area, the FSB is pleased that the Business Skills and Innovation Committee has given pub companies until the June 2011 to implement reforms to the tied-pub model, or face statutory regulation. The committee said that it believed there was a serious imbalance of power between pub companies and their tenants and that a referral to the Competition Commission may be necessary.

The FSB says the views and participation of small firms are vital to the sustainability and viability of communities, and more businesses should to be involved in local authority initiatives.