IN the wake of George Osborne unveiling his budget, Ulster Unionist MP Tom Elliott has challenged the Government to show support for employers and businesses in Fermanagh-south Tyrone.

Speaking at Westminster, Mr. Elliott said there needs to be support for small and medium-sized businesses and added: “I hope the Government have a plan in place to bring forward definitive proposals to help those small and medium-sized businesses.” The Fermanagh-south Tyrone representative told the House that he was “extremely positive” about the reduction in corporation tax announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer last week.

“I come from Northern Ireland, to which the Government have helpfully promised to devolve corporation tax. The reduction here will make our 12.5 per cent much more realistic and help make us competitive with our neighbours in the Irish Republic. We have a land Border with another EU state, so I welcome the reduction set out in the budget, which will make it much easier for us to implement our reduction. Thirdly, I also welcome the two per cent year-on-year increase in the defence budget, which is helpful and will leave the UK right at the centre of world defence.” Mr. Elliott informed Members that 64,100 families in Northern Ireland are in receipt of tax credits “and that almost 70 per cent of them are working families”.

“In recent months, one of the huge difficulties in our constituencies has concerned the HMRC helplines available to people making inquiries about their tax credits, and that is only going to get worse after the reduction. I therefore appeal to the Government to invest more resources to help constituents who are worried they might lose some or all of their tax credits. It is a worrying time for them. It is difficult even for us, their elected representatives, to get answers. HMRC needs to do a major job of work to provide that assistance and support mechanism.

“I feel that there is going to be a huge reduction in the tax credit element, which will create particular issues in areas such as Northern Ireland, where we have a lower wage base. These families, many of whom are working, cannot afford to spend up to 60 minutes on the phone waiting for answers to their tax credit queries,” he said.

Mr. Elliott went on to say that he was concerned about the impact on the Barnett formula and the Northern Ireland Executive budget.

“The Government will know of the difficulties around the welfare reform proposals in Northern Ireland. I want to make it clear that there was no agreement around those talks, as we have now realised, because some parties are now reneging on the proposals. We want to ensure that the £90 million agreed for welfare reform, to be taken from other budgets, can be implemented, because it is important for those suffering in our communities, such as the most deprived and the severely disabled. It is important they have the help and support they require, so I am looking to hear from the Government how we can ensure that the people most in need can be assisted,” he said.

“The budget is a curate’s egg: there are some good parts, but there are also some difficult issues to deal with, particularly around tax credits,” added Mr. Elliott.

Meanwhile, raising the issue of internet problems in Fermanagh-south Tyrone, Mr. Elliott asked Mr. Osborne if he has had any discussions with Stormont about co-operating on rural broadband.

“The providers are UK-wide and there are opportunities for such discussions,” said Mr. Elliott.

Responding on Mr. Osborne’s behalf, Minister of State (Culture Media and Sport) Ed Vaizey said the Government is working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive on the issue.

“Something like £23 million is helping to roll out super fast broadband in Northern Ireland and get it to the level it should be at,” he said.