In light of the announcement to close the PLUS-quoted market, we have sent a letter to the Chancellor George Osborne MP and Business Secretary Vince Cable calling for the Government to urgently review whether the UK's primary equity markets are fit for purpose.
We have requested that the Government appoints a business leader to conduct a review to determine whether primary equity markets are helping small and mid-size quoted companies grow and create employment. We have suggested three areas for review:
- Fiscal policy for equity markets and small and mid-size quoted companies: including what incentives investors have to invest their money in growing companies.
- More visibility of small and mid-size quoted companies: including a creation of a Small and Mid-Size Quoted Asset Class and ensuring UK indices are constructed and calculated in a way that more accurately reflects constituents and their contribution to the UK economy.
- Leading the debate across Europe on the efficiency of primary equity markets: including what changes to EU regulations and what EU initiatives could help deliver a better environment for small and mid-size quoted companies to raise money on a primary equity market.
