On Friday 11th March David Ruffley MP will be meeting up with small businesses (SMEs) in Bury.

At 10.45 am David Ruffley MP will be handing out awards and giving a speech to the Best of Bury St Edmunds' Business Coffee Morning at LP Bar and Kitchen in Bury St Edmunds.

Mr Ruffley says of small businesses 'It is a very tough business environment for small and medium sized enterprise and the Budget which is on 23rd March will be crucially important. I also want to hear if the big banks are improving lending to SME's. '

'As a member of the Treasury Select Committee I have challenged Bob Diamond, Chief Executive of Barclays PLC, on Tuesday 11th January over the big banks' restrictive lending to small businesses.

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http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=7376

I also questioned the Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, about how he was going to monitor the increase in gross lending to small and medium sized enterprise in 2011 that has been promised by the big banks.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110209/debtext/110209-0001.htm#11020962001478

It is important to keep such prominent figures accountable and try to get the best deal for small and medium sized business.'

At 12.30pm Mr Ruffley will meet Mr James Garnham Managing Director of STL Technologies- a good example of a small technology business based in Bury St Edmunds.

'STL technologies have customers in the criminal justice field - they have implemented National and Local Case Management Applications, such as Equis Case management for Her Majesty's Court Service. I want to hear how they are operating in these hard economic times.'