EAST Hampshire MP Damian was in Alton for Small Business Saturday last weekend when he visited three new businesses.

“It was a pleasure to visit three recently-opened businesses in Alton this weekend to celebrate Small Business Saturday,” said Mr Hinds.

“First up was Sarah Marsden’s Station Barbers, which is conveniently located by Waitrose and the station and offers commuter-friendly late opening on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“I then met Bob and Mandy Wilson at their new venture, Baguette-Me-Not, which offers a great range of simple and tasty food to shoppers, businesses and students in the town.

“And I finished off with a delicious hot chocolate at ChoLily’s on Lenten Street, a new cafe and corporate catering business run by Paul Partridge and his partner Karen.”

He added: “It takes courage and passion to start a new business and I take my hat off to each and every one of them for taking the plunge and bringing these new enterprises to Alton. I wish them every success going forward, along with all the other small and independent businesses that we have across East Hampshire that we rely on to keep our town centres vibrant.”

Commenting on behalf of Alton Matters, chairman Tanya Applegarth made a point of saying that while the town was “very busy” over the Yuletide weekend, which this year embraced Small Business Saturday, this had been positively aided by free parking, courtesy of East Hampshire District Council, which she believed had encouraged people to come out and support the local shops.

Free parking was also available in district council-run car parks in Petersfield on Saturday.

Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, non-commercial and not-for-profit initiative that exists to champion small businesses. Now entering its fourth year, according to the Federation of Small Businesses, it has become firmly established as the UK’s most successful small business campaign.

In a bid to support the campaign, this year the government has set out measures to increase transparency of payment practices to support small firms. From April 2017, large businesses and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) will have to publish details twice a year on the average time taken to pay supplier invoices as part of a package of measures to tackle late payment, which will also include the appointment of a small business commissioner.

Large companies will be required to publish details on how quickly they pay their suppliers, under draft regulations released last Friday by Small Business Minister Margot James, who said: “On Small Business Saturday, this government will be celebrating the UK’s record number of small businesses, which are creating jobs and supporting local communities. Unfair payment practices and unnecessary red tape hamper their ability to grow and have no place in an economy that works for all.

“By shining a light on how large businesses pay their smaller suppliers, we want to empower small businesses and drive a real change in payment culture. I want to thank the individuals and business groups who have responded to the consultation and helped shape this policy.”

Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “Tackling late payments is now a key part of the government’s corporate governance agenda. The comprehensive and regular duty to report is the first step to combat a business culture that feels like one where it is okay to pay small firms late. It is not okay and we estimate that 50,000 business deaths could be avoided every year, if only payments were made promptly – adding £2.5bn to the UK economy.

“We need to see executive board-level engagement and scrutiny of payment practices to deliver lasting cultural change.”

The duty to report requirement is part of a package of government measures to tackle the issue of late payment. This includes the appointment of the small business commissioner, who from autumn next year will support small businesses in resolving payment disputes.

The government also has a manifesto commitment to finding £10bn of deregulatory savings for business from unnecessary regulation that stands in the way of growth.