BACKING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES

Small businesses in Wales make a vitally important contribution to our economy and account for 99% of all businesses in Wales; it is vital we support this sector. Business rates account for a significant part of operating costs for small businesses and as a result prevent businesses from growing, from investing in themselves and in many cases, creating more jobs. We need to remove the burden of business rates and allow our private sector to flourish and create employment opportunities. The figures highlight the number of small businesses which are struggling to meet their bills and who, under Plaid Cymru plans, would not have to pay any non-domestic rates.

A Freedom of Information request by the party revealed that more than 3,000 businesses with a rateable value of under £10,000 had liability orders issued against them for non-payment over the past three years, they would be among 70,000 businesses taken out of the rates system. Over 3,000 small businesses in Wales fell into debt over their business rates would be taken out of paying non-domestic rates altogether under plans drawn up by Plaid Cymru. The Party of Wales’s has pledged to scrap business rates for all enterprises with a rateable value of under £10,000 relief with those between £10,000 and £15,000 also seeing their bills reduced.

Plaid has long championed the importance of local economies when it comes to generating national wealth. Every £1 spent in a local business selling local produce is worth twice as much to the economy as £1 spent in a supermarket, due to local reinvestment and spending. As noted by the Campaign for the Preservation of Rural England, every £10 pound spent in a local business circulates at least three times before it leaves the local economy rather than vanishing when spent in the branches of chains.

It is vital to ensure more people have the opportunity to economically support their local town centres across Wales, so we making them the vibrant heart of the community they once were. Over the last 30 years in Monmouth constituency (and elsewhere) we have all seen the damaging economic and social effects of bad shortsighted questionable planning decisions on our small towns. The Welsh Government needs to actively support our town centres and create a more level playing field for small to medium sized local businesses. Our town centres should be the economic heart of our communities, generating local wealth and jobs for our people.

Business Rates in the Gwent area

BLAENAU GWENT

2013 and 2014:Non-domestic rates liability orders (as of January 30 2015): 232

Arrears @ March 31, 2014: £1,233,000

Liability Orders on businesses with rateable value of less than £10,000:  168 (running total as of September 2014):

CAERPHILLY

2013-14:Non-domestic rates liability orders: 229

Arrears @ March 31, 2014: £1,078,399 (year only)

Liability Orders on businesses with rateable value of less than £10,000: 290 over three years

MERTHYR TYDFIL

2013-14:Non-domestic rates liability orders: 76

Arrears @ March 31, 2014: £797,946

Liability Orders on businesses with rateable value of less than £10,000: 53 over three years

MONMOUTHSHIRE

2013-14:Non-domestic rates liability orders: 209

Arrears @ March 31, 2014: £1.6m (gross)

Liability Orders on businesses with rateable value of less than £10,000: 307 over three years

NEWPORT

2013-14:Non-domestic rates liability orders: 310

Arrears @ March 31, 2014: £1.92m

Liability Orders on businesses with rateable value of less than £10,000: 104 over 3 years

TORFAEN

2013-14: Non-domestic rates liability orders: 39

Arrears @ March 31, 2014:  £1,287,084Liability Orders on businesses with rateable value of less than £10,000: 39 over three years

TIME FOR A LIVING WAGE

Plaid Cymru has unveiled its first signature policy for the 2015 General Election Campaign - a Living Wage that would secure a pay rise for more than 250,000 Welsh workers. A Living Wage would improve living standards, help create jobs, and boost local economies due to people having more money in their pockets to spend. 

The policy was just one of many Plaid Cymru proposals to help businesses and employers alike such as cutting VAT in the tourism sector, offering SMEs lower business rates, and developing a Welsh Bank to lend to small business. 



Hywel Williams MP, Plaid Social Security spokesperson speaking ahead of the policy launch said:

"Plaid Cymru believes that nobody in Wales should be paid less than they need to live upon. That is why we pledge to give more than 250,000 Welsh workers a pay rise by making the Living Wage a key commitment for the 2015 General Election campaign. 



"In a time when City fat cats are rewarded for failure, and ordinary families are suffering a slump in living standards, this is a policy aimed at tackling the UK's "most unequal state in Europe" status. 



"Currently the UK Government subsidises big business to pay poverty wages by setting the minimum wage too low and then topping them up with tax credits to enable people to afford basic provisions. 


"By raising the minimum wage to be in line with the Living Wage, we will be able to raise living standards and boost local economies as people will have more money in their pockets to spend. 



"Analysis shows that it is more commonly women, the under 30s and part-time workers who suffer most from low wages. A Living Wage would ensure that none of these groups are left behind and improve the lot of entire households, not just individuals. 



"This is just one of a wide range of Plaid Cymru policies designed to help employers and workers alike. These include cutting VAT for the tourism industry, cutting business rates for SMEs, and establishing a Bank of Wales that would lend to small businesses. 



"While Labour, Tories and Lib Dems join in the desperate scramble to save the Union and putting Wales' best interests on the back burner yet again, Plaid Cymru is getting on with the job of delivering a more just and prosperous Welsh nation."