Notts businesses set to grill would be MPs before election

NOTTS firms will get their chance to put the people who want their votes at the looming general election on the spot.

The Derbyshire and Notts Chamber has revealed it will hold two Question Time-style session for parliamentary candidates this month.

In the run-up to the events, at Colwick Hall and Eastwood Hall, the chamber is urging businesses to let it know the key questions would-be MPs must answer.

"We want to give our members the chance to question candidates from the main parties and we want to know what questions need to be asked," said the chamber's policy director, John Dowson.

The events are scheduled to take place on March 25 and 30 from 8am to 10am.

The news comes as the chamber unveiled its own wish-list of measures it said an incoming government would have to take on board.

Mr Dowson said one of the key issues was how and when to start paying back the nation's massive debts.

He told the Post: "This decision is all about getting the balance right. You need to have a plan so the world financial markets know we are serious about bringing our debt under control.

"But you need to make cuts in such a way that it is taking out waste rather than delivery.

"We need to cut back on revenue expenditure rather than capital expenditure, so projects like the A453 improvements would be kept because it is a project that would bring money locally both during construction and through benefits that help support and create jobs."

The chamber's drive to ensure public spending cuts do not adversely affect business is one of nine areas it will be pushing the next government to sign up to.

It comes amid conflicting signs about the health of the economy, with Office for National Statistics Figures suggesting it finally came out of recession in the last three months of 2009.

Though the quarterly growth figure was on Friday revised up from 0.1% to 0.3%, Mr Dowson said a strong recovery was not yet in sight.

"Our own last quarterly survey did flag up some signs of improvement locally, though Nottinghamshire firms appeared to do slightly better than Derbyshire.

"We are also in the early stages of our next quarterly survey and there may be some more positive signs.

"But I don’t think this is going to be a great recovery – we are still bobbing along the bottom and it is all about gradual improvement."

Besides the wish-list and its own pre-election events, the Chamber – the third largest in the country – says it will be lobbying politicians and public officials before and after the vote takes place.

Richard Wilkins, the organisation’s President, said: "The main role of the Chamber is to represent its members and address the issues that concern them the most and we will continue to lobby the new Government – of whichever party that may be – to ensure that the voice of Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire business is heard.

"The economy is barely limping towards recovery. It will only grow if businesses are successful and are encouraged to innovate, create new jobs, develop new products, access new customers and markets and invest in their future.

"The political decision-makers have a key role to play in supporting local businesses and encouraging them to flourish and grow and the Chamber will be campaigning hard throughout the year to break down barriers to business growth, rebuild the local business infrastructure and deliver jobs and prosperity through success."