SMALL businesses should get more support from central Government for investment in new technology, Huntingdon companies demand overwhelmingly. In a survey of more than 300 firms by Huntingdon MP Jonathan Djanogly 94 per cent of respondents said Whitehall

SMALL businesses should get more support from central Government for investment in new technology, Huntingdon companies demand overwhelmingly.

In a survey of more than 300 firms by Huntingdon MP Jonathan Djanogly 94 per cent of respondents said Whitehall should

help them exploit emerging technology.

Three-quarters of those polled were already broadband-enabled, with nearly half saying the Internet had helped them increase sales.

Two companies out of three found difficulty filling vacant posts with people with the necessary skills or qualifications, and three-quarters of them said the problem was getting worse.

"This is an area that we must begin to address," Mr Djanogly said.

Around 200 of the companies that responded said the proposed improvements to the A14 would be important to them, with 70 per cent of firms saying transport links had deteriorated over the past five years.

Ninety per cent said the extra money pumped into public services, such as health, education and police, had either made no difference or had actually made their lives worse.

"I would never claim that this is a scientific survey, but the large number of replies do make the results worth reading," Mr Djanogly added.