It's a recurring theme in the news at the moment, and this time it's the CBI employers' group that is asking for the government to increase help for the UK's 'forgotten army' of medium-sized businesses in important areas such as access to finance. Businesses turning over between £10m and £100 are sadly 'under the radar' of policymakers despite generating 22% of revenues and 16% of all jobs.

The CBI director general John Cridland says, "Medium-sized businesses are truly a forgotten army, and now is the time to unlock their potential. For too long these companies, which could inject tens of billions of pounds into our economy, have fallen under the radar of policymakers. To achieve extra growth, medium-sized firms must have access to new kinds of finance. This means opening UK bond markets to medium-sized businesses, encouraging use of venture capital, and making it easier for large companies to invest in medium ones, possibly in their supply chains."

In response the Department for Business spokesperson said, "The Government is already focused on this group as part of the growth review, and we will be setting out our proposals alongside the autumn statement in November."

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