Banks should maintain current overdraft limits and existing bank borrowing arrangements for SME’s for at least two years and/or convert overdrafts to reasonably costed loans.

Banks should not therefore increase but keep current interest rates on business borrowings and pass on any reductions in bank rate immediately.

Banks should be even handed on bank charges.

The Bank of England over the short term should ignore their preoccupation with the rate of inflation and reduce bank rate by 1.5%.

Financial Institutions should be even handed when assessing re-possessions of SME’s homes and other real personal assets used as collateral.

Where arrangements have been made by Government Agencies e.g. HMRC for payments due by instalments, those arrangements should not be indiscriminately withdrawn.

In the Autumn Budget implement in the UK the EU scheme for reduced VAT on labour intensive services. This should apply to all available sectors including repairs to private dwellings.

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