RENEWING THEHUMBERMeeting the challengeSHEFFIELDSteeling itself forsuccessA BUDGET FORBUSINESS? What it means for youAPRIL 2012£3.50YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINEwww.blmgroup.co.ukVOLUME 27ISSUE 0401:Layout 1 2/4/12 11:59 Page 1Chef SolutionsStand out from the crowd!Our exceptional and accomplished team consists of Michelin-trained chefs and professional event organisersCorporate Catering Bespoke Chefs Services Private Events Hog Roasts & BBQ Weddings & Family OccasionsFor more information on what we can offer you contact us onT:0845 094 1157E:info@chefsolutions.co.ukwww.chefsolutions.co.uk19 meadow View Drive I Ravenfield I Rotherham I South Yorkshire I S65 4RJConferences at Scarborough SpaFollowing a £6.5 million refurbishment, the iconic Scarborough Spa now offers a completeevent solution. The beautiful Grade II listed Victorian building offers state-of-the-art facilities,while still retaining its historic character. Due to the size and flexibility of the development,the venue also has the ability to numerous events at the same time, and is ideally suited tolarge association events as well as conferences and smaller meetings.The Spa has the capacity for more than 3,000 delegates and an exhibition space of over1,700 square metres. This combined with a range of smaller meeting and function roomsenables the Spa to accommodate a wide variety of events. The three main conferencehalls; the Grand Hall, Spa Theatre and Ocean Room, are all equipped with state of the arttechnical systems. South Bay, Scarborough, YO11 2HD Tel: 01723 376774Email: spaenquiries@scarborough.gov.uk Web: www.scarboroughspa.co.ukCONFERENCESWhether it's smaller meetings or fullconferences, the Spa offers a range of excellent facilities, combining modern comfort with the very latest in technology.Just one of ourmulti-purposerooms...Sun Court Suite02:Layout 1 30/3/12 10:33 Page 111ContentsApril 2012On the coverPhotograph courtesy ofwww.shutterstock.com/ Login3920263056Features8Hot TopicGeorge Osborne’s Budget was widely received as aBudget for business, but do the figures back thatup? 11Commercial PropertyBusiness Link takes a look at the forecast for thecommercial property sector15Yorkshire Business MarketThe eighth Business Market looks like being anotherfull house on Monday 30th April at Pavilions ofHarrogate on the Great Yorkshire Showground 17SheffieldSheffield has long been associated with the steelindustry, but the city has reinvented itself on a moreacademic approach. 20Health & SafetyHealth and safety regulations are changing to makethem more effective and less irritating forbusinesses22Safety & Health ExpoIn the wake of the Löfstedt Report, Safety & HealthExpo returns to Birmingham NEC from 15th to 17thMay for its most comprehensive show to date.24ConferencingDespite being an important part of business life,networking remains a completely misunderstoodart. We take a look at the importance of planning 26Design & MarketingDesign and marketing has become ever morecomplex in recent times – and there are manypotential pitfalls30SecurityWith soaring cost of living expenses andunemployment so high, crime rates are increasing.What can be done to protect your business?49ConstructionOur region is well placed to assist the constructionsector meet new challenges50RussiaWhat are the opportunitis for businss success inEastern Europe?52Technology ExpoThe Technology Expo at the Marriott Hollins HallCountry Club in Shipley on Thursday 17th May willprovide a timely look at one of the fastest-movingindustries of all53Humber LEPThe new Humber Local Enterprise Partnership aimsto bring together both sides of the Humber for thegreater goodEnvironmentalBusiness Link Environmental is your ultimate guideto the rapidly expanding world of green business.34Environmental newsThe latest news from this fast-moving sector36Water Efficiency & TreatmentThe warnings of drought this summer should spurmore businesses into reviewing their use of water38Onshore & Offshore WindfarmsThe introduction of the Humber Renewable EnergySuper Cluster Enterprise Zone is likely to play a majorrole in the future prosperity of our region40Renewables NetworkMore than two hundred industry leaders are expectedat Renewing the Humber on Tuesday 1st May at theKC Stadium in Hull47Sustainabilitylive!Under the banner of ‘leading the way for a sustainablefuture’, Sustainabilitylive!is once again at the NEC inBirmingham, from 22nd to 24th May48Facilities Show, held at the Birmingham NEC on 15thto 17th May, is set to be the biggest networking andshared learning opportunity of the yearRegulars4From the Editor5News7TaxationTurning the Budget to your advantage by JamesPinchbeck, Marketing Partner, Streets CharteredAccountants56AutoLinkBudget busting cars for business58EventsWe take a look at business events happening aroundYorkshire and Lincolnshire60Classified61Appointments62And finally…03:Layout 1 2/4/12 12:03 Page 1We enter this month after a Budget that actually mightmean something to SMEs around our region. For the firsttime in a long time, we have a set of plans that will help notonly those who own their own business and are proud ofwhat they’ve achieved being rewarded, but also those juststarting out on the jobs ladder being able to keep more ofwhat they earn.The cut in Corporation Tax and the top rate of Income Taxare welcome for those who want to grow their businesses in what are stillchallenging times, while the increase in the personal tax allowance to £9205 in2013 will mean that work, rather than reliance on the Welfare State, will hopefullytranslate into a more reliant, flexible workforce.Of course, corporate governance is a big news story, and the Chancellor’sefforts to cut down on tax avoidance via Stamp Duty are also to be welcomed. Ifwe’re asking those at the bottom to do their bit, then those at the top shouldfollow suit.This month, we outline the changing face of our economy by looking back atthe various economic structures we’ve lived under over the last thirty years. Arewe better off now than we were in the second Tory landslide in 1983? We’ll findout.Certainly the potential for our region looks brighter than at any point in thepast three decades, with the renewable energy sector booming. Yet theopportunities won’t just be handed to us on a plate and in this month’sBusiness Link Environmental we look ahead to the forthcoming Renewing theHumber event that will bring together many companies who could benefit fromthese huge developments.Good reading as always,W S FisherEditorEditorSteve Fisher (s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk)JournalistsSteve Williams (s.williams@blmgroup.co.uk)Mike Shields (m.shields@blmgroup.co.uk)Elis Ballard (e.ballard@blmgroup.co.uk)Michael Fisher (m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk)Editorial contactnewsdesk@blmgroup.co.ukTel: (01472) 310305 Fax: (01472) 310317Sales DirectorTeri Cooper (t.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk)AdvertisingTel: (01472) 310310Kim Collins (k.collins@blmgroup.co.uk)Hannah Hogarth (h.hogarth@blmgroup.co.uk)Accounts & SubscriptionsAngela Sharman Dawn CookTel: (01472) 310301 Fax: (01472) 310311Design & ProductionGary JorgensenMark CassonRachel GreenTel: (01472) 310304 Fax: (01472) 310314(studio@blmgroup.co.uk)E-Mail:yorks-lincs@blmgroup.co.ukWebsitewww.blmforum.netAddressHaychart Ltd,Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby,N.E. Lincs., DN31 2QE.ISSN No:1462-2092All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recorded or otherwisewithout express permission of the copyright holder, for whichapplication should be addressed first to the publisher. Whileevery reasonable care is taken, neither the publisher nor itsparticipating agents accept liability for loss or damage toprints, colour transparencies, negatives or other material ofwhatever nature submitted to this publication. The viewsexpressed in this publication are not necessarily the views ofthose held by the publisher.This magazine is now fully recyclable. By recyclingmagazines, you can help reduce waste and add to the 5.5million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UK paperindustry each year. Before you recycle your magazine,please ensure you remove all plastic wrapping, free giftsand samples. If you are unable to participate in a recyclingscheme, then why not pass your magazine onto a localhospital or charity?From theEDITORThe magazine that caresWE CARE because we want to leave our world a better place than wefound itBusiness Link believes that being socially and environmentally responsible is the key tomaintaining a flourishing business that our customers will be pleased to use and our staffwill be proud to be part of.Community-From a very local point of view, we strive to be a ‘good neighbour’. We alsoextend that into the much broader local community, through financial support of local causesand charities. Environment-Our actions extend to: conservation of energy and natural resources,minimisation of waste and ensuring our trading partners do likewise.04:Layout 1 30/3/12 08:54 Page 1Seneca funding seals future for familyprintersThe rich heritage of afourth generation familyprinting business inDoncaster has beensecured along withfifteen jobs followinga £270,000 lifelinefrom turnaround fundSeneca Investments.Askew Design &Print will be run andmanaged by Sheffield-based specialist printer Whitesprint – another long-established business which has become part of the Seneca investmentportfolio after receiving a £200,000 injection which secured 37 jobs. Patrick Bywater, director of Seneca, says, “The Askew name and successstory has been respected in Doncaster for the last nine decades and the fundingand merger with Whitesprint looks set to seal its future as a provider of qualityproducts for many more years to come. Aligned with our predictions that theprinting industry – beset by challenges like many others – is moving towardssignificant consolidation, the combined expertise of Askews and Whitesprint will leveragetheir position in the Yorkshire marketplace.” Britain must “raise its game,”Minister saysBritain needs to “raise its game” to make sure it is not left behind by emerging markets aroundthe world, according to Jeremy Browne MP, Minister of State at the Foreign and CommonwealthOffice. Mr Browne was speaking at the Global Manufacturing Festival’s Convention and Trade show atSheffield City Hall. He said, “There’s a revolution taking place in the world and we choose to bewilfully neglectful of how the revolution will affect us. The world’s economy is set to expandrapidly and we need new alliances and better understandings with more countries. “The UK needs to raise its game to make ourselves more competitive on a global market. Wecan be globally competitive as we have strengths which are recognised around the world in many important sectors. The Global Manufacturing Festival, which was organised by Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Marketing Sheffield, ran over two days and attractedmore than two thousand people to a range of activities. Richard Wright of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce says, “Attendances were as good as last yearand we increased the number of people from outside the region, attracting delegates from around the world.”www.blmforum.net5newsyouryourStaff celebrate as coach companysavedA private investor has stepped in tosecure the future of AC WilliamsCoaches. Despite a healthy demandfor bookings, the company’s futurewas threatened following the closureof its sister business in December, theAC Williams Renault car dealership. Now its future is guaranteed as thecompany, which numbers HarlaxtonCollege, The Red Arrows and footballclubs Lincoln City and Boston United among its regular coach customers, has received a cashand management injection from investor Glen Pratt. He has plans to build the businessthrough employee profit sharing and the partnership principles which have proved sosuccessful for John Lewis. As executive chairman of the company, Glen will be keeping not just the AC Williamsfamily name, but the Williams’ family involvement as well, with former directors DavidWilliams and Alison Parker fulfiling non-managerial roles within the company.Hundreds attendFinance YorkshireroadshowsMore than six hundred business leaders fromacross Yorkshire and the Humber attended roadshowson the issue of finance for business. Finance Yorkshirestaged the conference events in Sheffield, York, Hulland Leeds to highlight the funding opportunitiesavailable to small and medium businesses.The £90 million venture capital and loanfund has already made significantinvestments to support growthproposals from companiesthroughout Yorkshire and theHumber.Alex McWhirter, chiefexecutive of Finance Yorkshire,says, “A number of companieshave said there is no provisionof finance. I’d have to differwith that view. Finance isavailable for companies withgood growth plans andexhibiting strong potential.Don’t write off the availability offinance, come and speak with usas early as possible if you arelooking for investment into yourbusiness.”Finance Yorkshire is now looking tostage a number of evening events indifferent locations, including Doncaster,Grimsby, Scarborough and Skipton.DTZ,part of UGLServices, hassuccessfully disposed ofpart of the former NationalHouse Building Council’s regionaloffices at Clifton Moor, York. DTZ’sOffice Agency team in Leeds hassecured Your Move as occupiers ofthe ground floor taking approximately3000 sq ft in the two storey officeproperty comprising 6327 sq ft intotal. Key Your Move departmentswill work from the new officesand offer their support to itsnetwork of more than threehundred branchesacross the UK.05-07:Layout 1 30/3/12 14:52 Page 1Doing businessdown underOver hundred local businesses gathered to hear industry specialists fromAustralia present at a Yorkshire Gold Business Club and UKTI event inSheffield, where delegates were given first hand knowledge of how they canreach new markets. The event included insights from Queensland Trade & Investment, TheGovernment of Western Australia, plus the Sydney and Melbourne BritishConsulates. The mining, oil and gas, rail, ports and infrastructure sectorshave been identified as having a wealth of emerging opportunities. UKcompanies, with their unique capabilities and expertise, can rise to thechallenge and deliver a range of specialist goods and services to thesegrowing economies. Emma Tiernan, Director of the Yorkshire Gold Business Club, says,“Companies within our region have the unique capabilities and skills todeliver and fulfil the contracts available in the Australian market. We hopethis event highlighted the help and assistance available to ensure that theysucceed in reaching this new market.”newsyouryourNorthern Paper Board maintainsinvestment strategyAn expanding Skipton packaging firm is embarking on the next stage of a £2 million-plusinvestment and development programme. Northern Paper Board, now the UK’s second largestmanufacturer of solid board boxes for the food processing industry, has committed £500,000 to newautomated machinery and technology.Since December 2009, the company, which supplies the meat, poultry, fish and horticultural packaging sectors acrossthe UK and Ireland, has already invested £1.8 million in plant and machinery at its site in Engine Shed Lane. Over the coming months, Northern PaperBoard will install further robots to feed printers and folder gluers, along with an automated stacking system for its palletisation line .Continuing investment in the business is seen as key, as the company bids to further boost strong year on year growth, currently running at over 10%.In the past three years alone, turnover has risen from £5.4 million to an estimated £8.3 million in the current financial year.EastMidlands constructioncompanies should take steps toattract more females to meet theindustry’s need to attract top talent,according to a survey by CITB-ConstructionSkills. The survey showed that mostrespondents felt it was important for employers toattract more females into construction in order to‘attract more talented individuals’ (47.5%) and toensure that the workforce better reflected society’sdemography (13%). For those who thought itwas not important for industry to do more toattract women (9%), most suggested thatactivity in this area was ‘justpolitical correctness’.6www.blmforum.net05-07:Layout 1 30/3/12 14:52 Page 2www.blmforum.net7newsyouryourNew college partnershipstimulates economic growthOrbis HR and Bradford College’s Beacon Recruitment & PlacementServices have joined forces in an innovative new partnership that looks setto tackle unemployment and stimulate growth in the economy.As a new start up, Orbis HR needed the skills and knowledge of Finance,Marketing, Administration and IT, but did not have the necessary resourcesto fund these roles. Beacon Recruitment has come to the rescue with aleading edge student workforce to grow the business rapidly.Ian McAleese, Managing Director of Orbis HR, says, “When TracyJennings contacted me about the student placements, I thought it was agreat opportunity to get a readymade team in place. In return I could offerthe students the opportunity to be part of a new start up company with norules, policies and procedures – instead they’d be encouraged to be asentrepreneurial, creative and innovative as they liked.”TAXATIONTurning the Budgetto your advantageby James Pinchbeck, Marketing Partner,Streets Chartered AccountantsFollowing the Chancellor’sBudget, Streets CharteredAccountants held its Budgetroadshow. While someannouncements – like theincrease in personal allowancesand the reduction in the rate ofcorporate tax – were wellreceived, changes to child benefitand the increase in fuel levy wereless so. Also unpopular werechanges to the “granny tax” – andthe “pasty tax” has certainlystimulated much hype.It seems the biggest issue affecting the local and nationaleconomy is still confidence, or a lack of it. It’s difficult to see ifthe Budget has done anything to buck this trend, but as oftenthe case, the devil’s in the detail.With many local enterprises dependent on external funding,the expansion of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme andthe Finance Partnership can only be good news. For buddingentrepreneurs it will be interesting to learn more about thestudent equivalents of enterprise loans. For many smallbusinesses, the changes to corporation tax make it increasinglybeneficial to consider incorporation and trading as a limitedliability company. It’s also a good time to review whether acompany car is still attractive– not least with increasing benefitin kind charges and pending fuel hikes.For ‘husband and wife’ businesses it might be worth lookingat income splitting – the spreading of income between twoparties to help protect entitlement to Child Benefit. Equally, bydecreasing income in real terms, both as a higher rate and non-higher rate tax payer, it can be possible to maximise overallfinancial rewards. Such tactics include increasing pensioncontributions, switching investments to those subject to capitalgains tax as opposed to income tax, or simply deferring income.For innovative businesses the proposed tax cuts on patentsmust help stimulate creative ideas and hopefully see moreturning into viable commercially opportunities. Supporting thisare the proposed Research and Development Tax Credits.It’s still early days to be able to understand how the Budget islikely to fully impact on businesses and individuals. We’re suremany accountants will be looking at the impact the Budget hason their clients and how best to help them take advantage of thechanges.James Pinchbeck is Marketing Partner, with StreetsChartered Accountants, a top 60 UK accountancy firm.Telephone 0845 880 0320, email info@streetsweb.co.ukor visit www.streetsweb.co.uk Page Nelson Solicitorsmove to new homeLincoln law firm Page Nelson Solicitors are moving from Lindum Road inthe city centre to Victory House on the Henley Office Park. This follows theletting of the entire ground floor of the building by Hodgson Elkington LLP,chartered surveyors acting on behalf of developers Melbourne Holdings. Director Steven Forster says, “We are very much looking forward tomaking a fresh start at Victory House where we have preparedcomfortable, specially configured offices which offer more space forclients and staff.”Daniel Race, partner at Hodgson Elkington, says, “We very muchwelcome Page Nelson to Victory House. This letting is another sign of theimproving office market in Lincoln and follows the letting last month of10,000 sq ft unit at Edge West, off Ruston Way. We also currently havedeals close to completion on three other buildings in the DoddingtonRoad area totalling almost 10,000 sq ft.”05-07:Layout 1 30/3/12 14:52 Page 38www.blmforum.netHOT TOPICThe aim of the Budget was to make the UK’scorporate tax system the most competitive of all themajor economies. The Treasury’s Corporate TaxRoadmap has been much discussed by businessesand it certainly now appears to be making animpact. The reforms look particularly promising forinternational businesses and a number of importantsectors such as those engaged in high technologyresearchA corporation tax cut has certainly beenwelcomed by many of our region’s businesses butlobbying continues to ensure it is cut still further – to20% by the end of this Parliament. Even at thesereduced rates, this would still be able to bring inover £45 billion in tax revenues to the treasury.Businesses know there’s no other measure thatcould make such a contribution towards enhancingforeign direct investment in the UK – the headlinerate of corporation tax is the main factor globalbusinesses compare when hunting for newterritories.The reduction of the 50% rate of income tax wasthe Chancellor’s least surprising announcement.Originally this was billed as simply a temporarymeasure but the ability of the rate to discourageentrepreneurial activity and encourage businessowners to move to lower personal tax jurisdictionscould have been very damaging.Besides, the Chancellor admitted the actual taxtake from the 50% rate was apparently only a thirdof the £3 billion predicted when the measure wasintroduced. Was that all down to tax planning? Mostexperts seem to suggest that was unlikely to be thecase for the vast majority of higher earners. Morethan likely, the original forecasts were at the veryheight of optimism.What did our panel of experts make of theBudget?Herman Kok, Group FD Lindum Group andChairman Employment and Skills Board forLincolnshire and RutlandI am guessing that the chancellor anticipatedpress headlines to concentrate on a reduction in the50p tax rate vs an increase in the tax free earningthreshold and I bet that the Granny Tax did notfeature in his thinking. Watch this space - ‘GreyPower’ could give him a few headaches over thenext few weeks.The missing storyline is that a 2% reduction incorporation tax sends a message that Britain is‘Open for Business’ and the reduction in the 50prate is a message that ‘those who invest in Britainare allowed to benefit from their efforts. Combinethis with the news that Investors in SeedEnterprises can expect generous tax breaks oninvestments up to £150,000 and the announcementof a £10 million nationwide loan scheme for youngentrepreneurs and we have some positive spin!Further good news is that the government issupporting banks with the provision of mortgagesfor first time buyers which will help the housingsector - while on the subject of banks, it’s abouttime that we stop bashing the bankers especially asthe Lincolnshire banking communities are not guiltyof excess and do a good job for us!Then there are the ‘own goals’ associated with adesire to ‘normalise VAT’. 20% VAT on the sale ofstatic caravans will be very unwelcome news forour coastal region economies. 20% VAT onalterations to listed buildings - often frequented bycharities - is equally unwelcome and 20% VAT onhot sausage rolls sold by the likes of Greggs is yetanother ‘hot potato’. None of these VAT changesare good news for Lincolnshire and neither is the 3pincrease in fuel duty - we do, after all, live in acounty where cars are a necessity as we don’t havethe luxury of London-style public transport.Finally, the budget did little to convince thoseinvolved with ‘green energy’ that the coalitiongovernment has a real commitment to the sector.Paul Croft, Croft Communications Public RelationsThe controversial decision to scrap the 50p taxrate and reduce it to 45p was taken on questionableevidence and it remains to be seen whether theincrease in stamp duty on £2 million homes and theclampdown on tax avoidance raises the revenue theHerman KokNeil SenguptaPaul CroftRichard LittleBUDGET SPECIAL40%35%30%25%20%15%1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 201235%35%35%30%30%30%28%24%UK Corporation Tax08-10:Layout 1 30/3/12 10:35 Page 165%60%55%50%45%40%35%1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 201260%60%40%40%40%40%50%45%Income tax (top rate)HOT TOPICwww.blmforum.net9government anticipates. The big unknown is whether these steps willencourage or hinder growth in the economy. Thechancellor was right to say that Britain borrowed itsway into trouble and must earn its way out again,but it remains to be seen whether his Budgetactions can put the economy on the right tracks.There has been justified criticism from smallbusinesses that the Chancellor has acted to help bigbusiness while ignoring struggling smaller firms. Hehas failed to scrap a planned 5.6% rise in businessrates, charged on business premises, due to beintroduced in April 2012, and has not cut corporationtax for businesses with earnings of less than£300,000 a year.However he did offer help in the form of asimplified tax system for firms with turnovers of upto £77,000, which is to be welcomed.The 1% reduction in corporation tax to 24% fromthis April - falling to 22% by 2014 - is of little benefitto smaller firms as it is paid by companies withprofits of at least £1.5 million a year - alreadyreduced by marginal relief for those with profitsbetween £300,000 and £1.5 million.Neil Sengupta, partner in Grant Thornton’sbusiness tax services team in YorkshireThe Chancellor’s announcement is predominantlygood news for the UK in terms of increasing itsattractiveness to the International Corporate market.That the Government will reduce the main rate ofcorporation tax by an additional 1% from April 2012,meaning that overall the rate will fall by 2% to 24%in April 2012, to 23% in April 2013 and to 22% inApril 2014, means we are looking at the lowest ratecorporation tax since it was introduced in 1965. This,in conjunction with the existing corporate taxincentives for holding companies already in place,really does make the UK the go-to country forinternational business seeking growth. It will alsoundoubtedly have a significant impact oninternational corporates’ investment strategies whenconsidering international expansion. In addition, under the new Controlled ForeignCompanies rules, which should commence in 2013,offshore finance companies could benefit from a rateof just 5.5% by 2014, which is an additional benefitfrom the tax rate announcement.While it comes as no surprise, the increase in thesupport that innovative companies receive from theGovernment and confirmation of the increase in R&Dtax credit for small and medium sized enterprises to225 % from April is warmly welcomed. In addition,scrapping the PAYE cap on the repayable credit isreally good news for loss making SMEs.Richard Little, Tax Partner at KPMG in YorkshireBusinesses in Yorkshire wanted three things fromthe Budget - improved competitiveness, de-clutteredlegislation and growth stimulus. The Chancellordelivered on all three to some extent.Growth is the number one issue and there weresome helpful measures around credit easing,relaxation of employment laws and enterprise loansfor young entrepreneurs. Lowering the corporate tax rate certainly earns athumbs up. The cut to 24% from April puts us belowthe global average rate, while simplifying the taxregime for small businesses, so that they pay tax ona cash basis, and relaxing the planning laws shouldmean corporates are better able to get on with theday job.Meanwhile, improving broadband speeds in tencities including Leeds and Bradford and increasingapprenticeships will help to make these Yorkshirecities even more attractive for business.Expanding the UK Export Finance Scheme iscrucial for helping to develop new markets but Isuspect more will need to be done to improve thelow take up rates.Finally, I hope that the new personal tax ratechanges may encourage consumer spending whichwould be welcomed by business.Richard Wackett, Lambert Smith HamptonThe government’s announcement of reducedJohn Cawdell10 Richard WackettGeorge Osborne’s Budget was widely received as a Budget for business, butdo the figures back that up? Here we delve deeper to look at the history offour hot topics, outlining figures in each General Election year since 1983 andcomparing them with the present day.Richard BosworthSimon Rubinsohn08-10:Layout 1 30/3/12 10:35 Page 2Next >