by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Small firms are urging the Government to boost job creation by extending National Insurance holidays in the North and West to our own deprived areas.

The Federation of Small Businesses in Kent and Medway said the change would kick-start growth and generate urgently-needed employment.

It has asked the county's MPs to back its campaign by asking Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne to extend the scheme to new and existing businesses in the county.

At present, the Employers' National Insurance Contributions incentive is only available to new businesses in areas of the North and West, with many jobs in the public sector.

But the FSB claims this applies equally to Kent and Medway, pointing out that many districts have levels of public sector employment significantly above national averages.

Roger House, chairman of the 6,500-member FSB in Kent and Medway, said: "It is now essential that the Government acts in the national interest and adopts these measures to kick-start growth in Kent and Medway."