Political Monitor

1/9/08

• Small business advised to shun experts
• Willetts takes on Labour 
• Happiest employees work for small businesses
  

18/8/08

• Ministers comment on town centre parking
• Small business working hours
• Statistics - Retail Figures and GDP
  

11/8/08

• Ministers consider new maternity laws
• Northern cities are failures
• High street stores lose out to independents online
• Feature on cycle helmets
  

28/7/08

• Government responds to supermarkets investigations
• Minimum wage to be paid to 21 year olds
• Conservative's want to "unite Britain's divided cities"
• Boris says the capital's property developers must help smaller retailers

21/7/08

• New motion on theft from shops
• Demand for business property at decade low
• Government reacts to rural housing report
  
• Legal challenge on eco-towns
• Asda launches property website
  

14/7/08

• Interesting interview with Sir Terry Leahy, the boss of Tesco
• Reactions to the state of the economy
  
• London gets a new Apprenticeship taks force
• Various Parliamentary questions including alchohol and eco-towns
  

7/7/08

• Plenty of written questions this week, including Cycling investment, Minimum wage publicity, Family businesses
• Plus more on the new tests to safeguard smaller shops 
  

30/6/08

• Oral questions in Parliament on post office closures and minimum wage 
• EU acts for small business
• Report says UK life "costs £13,400"
  

9/6/08

Another packed issue...

• Written and oral questions in Parliament this week included minimum wage prosecutions, plastic bags, post office closures, shoplifting and more
• News on more measures needs to equip the workforce with the right skills to get jobs 

2/6/08

A bumper issue of the Political Monitor this week...

• Lots of written questions in Parliament this week covering topics such as enforcement of the minimum wage, post office closures, eco-towns, shopping centres, crime
• Plans for "super shopping centres" threaten small retailers
• More retail insolvencies to come

26/5/08

• Cigarette displays in shops to be banned
• High St outperforms supermarkets on reducing waste
• Employers struggle with new employment law
• More products for sale in vending machines

28/4/08

• Report and reaction on the Competition Commission investigation into supermarkets
• A number of Prime Minister's questions and Early Day Motions on plastic bags
• More issues raised over the minimum wage

21/4/08

• Treasury publishes public expenditure details
• Plastic bags
• Apprenticeships
• Training and older people
• Minimum wage
• Demand for retail space plunges

14/4/08

• David Cameron says Tories will help small shops
• Government pledges to support small business during financial turmoil
• Consultation launches to develop high level skills
• JJB Sports closes 72 outlets
  

7/4/08

• Government moves away from mandatory skills training
• Vetting for shops employing under 16's
• Retailers ask landlords for help