Federation of Small Businesses Reaction to the Queen's Speech

The New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) should be extended to encourage more budding entrepreneurs to use the scheme

The Bank of England released figures last week which showed that lending to small firms fell by £9 billion in the three months to February. Small firms are being crippled by the highest rates of interest for more than three years – and lending is still plunging.

Small businesses are still struggling to win public sector contracts despite the Government's efforts to make it easier, the latest figures from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) show.

Apprenticeships have a long history in Britain, going back to the Guilds of the middle ages.