I’m fully behind a campaign to boost businesses in market towns. Over the last few days I have met with Carolyn Frank from the Federation of Small Businesses and a number of small and medium-sized businesses from Pickering, Easingwold, Kirkbymoorside, Filey and Malton to discuss what we can do to ensure that they get all the support they need, including reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, ensuring they can access bank funding, have access to a ready supply of skilled and unskilled workers and promoting regional growth from which they will benefit. Our towns are packed with enterprise in every imaginable sector including engineering, retail, professional services and outsourcing. Many retailers, of course, have to compete with online and out of town shopping and need all the help they can get to grow and thrive. We need to work together to ensure that each of our towns has its own unique identity to become a centre for customers, tourists and visitors which will help boost the local economy. Later in the summer I will be bringing together local businesses, Ryedale Councillors and representatives from the Local Enterprise Partnership to develop a plan which will develop solutions and help to move our economy forward.