Letter to MPs
<insert name> MP
House of Commons
Westminster
London
SW1A OAA
Dear <insert name>,
UKTI Tradeshow Access Programme cuts
I am writing to you to ask you to write to Rt Hon George Osborne MP, the Chancellor and Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills to register your opposition to the UK Trade & Investment decision to make an immediate and unexpected in-year cut to the grants to small companies under the Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP).
These cuts will impact on over200 companies - many in this constituency and region - in our industryalone and the UK Fashion & Textile Association has had to cancel a number of planned activities to raise the profile of our industry internationally. Whilst other associations and industries are affected, the cuts will especially affect fashion and textiles disproportionately as most of our shows for the all-important Autumn/Winter selling season fall in January to March 2015. The damage will be colossal with lasting consequences for the industry and perceptions of the government and UKTI within the industry.
Rebalancing the UK economy and building SME companies was a major part of the coalition government’s policy at the last election and we, and many smaller companies, have been working very hard in challenging markets to sell the goods overseas needed to raise export revenue, to create quality jobs at home and to support growth. In our view, trade show support is one of the most efficient ways of incentivising and helping companies to export. We urgently need UKTI to work with industry to develop a much-needed long-term approach to trade show support and support for SMEs in particular. Above all else,smaller companies need financial support to get on the export ladder.
Over the past year, we have seen a number of cuts to the few remaining government schemes which helped UK companies to compete in important export markets. These cuts impact directly on small companies who need to plan their budgets well in advance.
This cut to TAP seems to confirm that the government is not really committed to rebalancing the economy and helping smaller companies to become larger ones. Trade associations, across industry, do their best to get the best deal for us on behalf of industry but they too are undermined by this decision. The Prime Minister’s challenge to reach £1 trillion of exports and double the number of SMEs exporting by 2020 seems but a distant memory.
According to research conducted by the UK Fashion & Textile Association in conjunction with the Sponsors Alliance, for every £1 the government invests on fashion and textile companies through TAP, approximately £40 comes back to the country. Our competitors must be rejoicing!
As a small business in your constituency we really need your support and action to overturn this unfair in year cut and I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,