The Challenges and Opportunities Facing Rural Family Enterprises

All-Party Parliamentary Group for Family Business
The Challenges and Opportunities Facing Rural Family Enterprises
Wednesday 25th April 2018, 9-10.30am, Committee Room 20

Participants
John Stevenson MP (Chair)
Julian Sturdy MP
Baroness Burt
Lord Cromwell
Lord Cameron
Fiona Graham, Institute for Family Business (Secretariat)
Victoria Parker, Spurdown
Robert Fidgen, Withers LLP
David Dickson, York, North Yorkshire and East Riding LEP
Jon Sharp, Western Pension Solutions
Tristan Bourne, Perrywood Garden Centre & Nurseries Ltd
William Notcutt, Notcutts Ltd
Richard Tollemarche, Buckminster Estate
Graham Biggs, Rural Services Network
David Inman, Rural Services Network
Pitu Suri, Oceanic Jewellery
William Pedder, Clarks and IFB
Sarah Lee, Countryside Alliance
William Parente, The Wellbeck Estates Co Ltd
Christopher Findley, Bircham Dyson Bell LLP
Alan Styles, Axminster Power Tool Centre Ltd
Michael Parkers, National Farmers Union
Jane Kenyon, Bedfordia Group
Chris Cowcher, Action with Communities in Rural England
Simon Pring, Farrers
Anna Price, Rural Business Awards
Jane Bentall, Bourne Leisure Ltd
Erika Leadbetter, TSG Marine
Clarke Downes, Circle Communications
Elizabeth Bagger, Institute for Family Business
Rebecca Pozzi-Taubert, Institute for Family Business

1. Welcome and introduction

John Stevenson MP welcomed participants to the meeting, and set the scene for the discussion. He highlighted the economic contribution family firms make to the UK economy – 4.8 million businesses, employing over 12 million people, generating a quarter of GDP and contributing nearly £150 billion in taxes annually. Some 87% of rural SMEs are family owned.

Fiona Graham, Institute for Family Business spoke about the importance of considering the challenges of all rural businesses, not just those in agriculture or forestry. She spoke about some of the issues which have been raised by rural firms, including the Small Business Survey findings, including access to support, skills, infrastructure, regulation, housing and tax. She spoke about the central role family firms play in communities, and the need to understand the challenges they are facing so they can be addressed.

2. Discussion

John Stevenson MP opened up the discussion to participants, asking for input on the challenges facing rural family firms. During an active discussion participants covered a range of areas. A number of areas came up multiple times, including: housing, broadband and mobile coverage, access to people, financing growth, business support services, regulation and compliance.

The participants were split on the desirability of looking at rural businesses separately to urban firms, as some felt many of the challenges overlapped for both.

Housing was raised a number of times, both the affordability and availability of housing for those in rural areas. Participants mentioned the issue of large house builders seemingly not being interested in build small developments or four or five houses, although this is what they felt was needed.

Participants spoke about access to people – and the challenges of not only finding skills, but also labour. Some raised particular concerns about the impact of Brexit, especially in areas of full employment, and how they would be able to fill roles without EU nationals. The issue of young people not staying in rural areas, and therefore losing their skills, was also highlighted.

On business support, participants described the support available as difficult to find, ‘disjointed’, and not fit for purpose. There were challenges around both the content of the advice and the delivery of that support. Discussion took place on the impact of the end of Business Link, and accessibility of information on GOV.uk. Many participants felt that a support service for rural businesses was needed, while others flagged the difficulty in accessing advice online particularly when broadband coverage is not universal.

Participants also raised challenges around regulation and red tape, in particular flagging compliance challenges and regular changes. Many felt that rural SMEs were spending too much time dealing with regulatory issues, not growing their businesses.

3. Close of Meeting
John Stevenson MP thanked participants for attending and their contributions