Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce said: 

“The Prime Minister rightly recognised that so much comes down to growth and that this can only be delivered from the bottom up – by businesses across the UK.  

“The plans to boost apprenticeships and technical college education provision have the potential to help tackle the skills crisis in our economy. Businesses will be keen to see more detail about how this will be delivered without extra funding. 

“However, the Prime Minister’s warning that decisions ahead are ‘not cost-free’ will worry businesses, still struggling with the impact of tax rises announced in last year’s Budget.  

“Sir Keir reiterated what he first told the BCC’s Global Annual Conference in June, that the government had ‘asked a lot’ of firms in the past year. That’s why our message ahead of the Budget is clear – there can be no more taxes on business.  

“We need the Budget to go further on the skills shortage, help businesses export and continue to deliver on investment. 

“These are challenging economic times. But it is only by reducing the cost of doing business, and giving firms the tools to succeed, that we can get the sustained growth we all want to see.”