Yet another stupid idea from the government. Small business gets tax after tax thrust in them to satisfy Gordon Brown's desire for more money...

Reform Whitehall and save billions, then this can be invested in a proper national rail infrastructure like you get in most other countries. This will reduce local problems and a new string of piecemeal initiatives which don't join up or solve the porblem.

Why should small businesses take the burden again? Get the banks and other massive institutions to put up the finance from their obscene profits to fund national solutions.

This is just the contiunation of a string of events whereby the government abdicates responsibility for their manifesto and commitments. Just at the start of this month we saw the introduction of the ridiculous idea of all businesses being required to display no smoking signs to implement DoH policy. There was none of this rubbish in Scotland when they introduced their smoking ban. Now we pay more tax again

Mark, Warwick,

Why is it both the Labour government and local authorities can get away with such level of incompetency in public finance ? Why is it government ministers are never responsible for the mess they create, and does anybody remember Gordon Browne selling our gold reserves when prices were rock bottom? Why is it businesses and the middle class are always considered legitimate targets for yet more unfair taxation? To Tom from Belfast, I think the top up rates will hit local small businesses a lot harder than the private equity firms. Also what makes you think "buy-to-let" owners are making "obscene profits"? Please justify your statement with statistics. Can someone explain why some leaches can make thousands of pounds out of our benefit systems whilst hardworking middle class families get taxed at an obscene 40% (plus NI)? Self-improvement, entrepreneurship, risk-taking are no longer rewarded in this country. Welcome to the Socialist Republic of Great Britain!

Sam, Manchester, UK

Most businesses in this country are struggling let alone small, the exception are the privately owned who pretend they are not domiciled in this country. They are the ones who should be taxed to the hilt not the stugglers. Oh well, another nail in the coffin for the decline of British businesses !!

J Stephens, St.Leonards-on-Sea,

It would be helpful to local democracy, if councils could retain the business tax already levied.

Peter York, Tonbridge, Kent

This may be controversial: it is also necessary. Much has been made of the huge city bonuses given out to the hot young things who haven't the faintest interest on spending their money, except on themselves. This is unfair. I gather that getting individuals to cough up for the salary of even one day's work is very difficult. Businesses are or seem much more willing to "pay back". However their "interests" may also over -colour how the funds are spent. I know that in the art world that how an exhibition is presented to the public can depend on the corporation's sponsership. That is not as it should be. It should be with no strings attached: let the art institution decide. Then we would not have the anomily of free headsets (super-duper ones with pictures) at Tate Modern and the mess that was the Rodin Exhibition at the RA. Maybe the RA did have freedom: if it did it made bad choices! I was castigated for having the large print labels booklets on me: there were at least 2 to lug about!

Carlyle Braden, Croydon, U.K

What are we paying for now if it is not infrastructure? Health, NHS, welfare, etc. are paid for by personal taxes.

R Mason, London, UK

Are there any accountants in the treasury that can help to get us out of this one way street.Some one that can think outside the box so that more can be achieved for less.Did I read that £60bn was being wasted per annum or was that a dream?

Pete, Berkshire,

This government has given us a huge increase in red tape, tax increases (Employers NI and Corporation Tax for example), they want us to pay into our employees pension schemes (after they themselves have plundered pensions) and now they want this as well? You already get nothing for your business rates (not even waste disposal). How many people will give up running businesses with employees in the first place and become a consultant of some kind working from home? Sounds like you have a better chance of survival that way.

Lee Taylor, Southend,

The current business rates are already a huge burden on small business. This government seems intent on putting all small business out of business!

Keith, Diss, Norfolk

Good idea arriving none too soon. Given that business is the basis of our society, it is right that business should underwrite, directly, the costs of doing business, including the cost of getting people to and from work,keeping them healthy while in work, and enticing more people to come to work in a given area.

David, Birmingham, UK