Eltham Conservative parliamentary spokesman David Gold hosted a business forum at the recently restored Tudor Barn in Well Hall Road.

The speaker was David Hunt, who shadows Lord Mandelson in the House of Lords on business, enterprise and regulatory reform matters.

He spoke of the Conservative Party's plans for small businesses including cutting the small companies' rate of corporation tax, abolishing the tax on jobs created by new companies, improving government procurement from small firms and ensuring prompter payment.

He said that if the Conservatives win power in the forthcoming general election they would reduce the regulation for all small and medium sized businesses and make it simpler for them to employ new staff.

He pointed to the plans announced long ago for a national loans guarantee scheme to enable businesses to get access to credit during the economic downturn and criticised the current government for cutting funding to universities and training.

Speaking after the event, which was attended by small business owners, retailers and professional advisers based in the Eltham area, Mr Gold said: "My parents had their own small business and I have worked in business, so I know how challenging it has been for local entrepreneurs to stay afloat.

"A lot of the issues raised after the meeting were actually very specific to the local council, especially parking problems that are preventing customers using local shops and services.

"For all the talk of regenerating Eltham town centre there has been a total lack of action from Greenwich Council and this has been raised repeatedly by Conservative councillors.

"Despite all the promises we have seen little action. Meanwhile, we have lost some much loved local shops."