The Liberal Democrat MP for North Devon, Nick Harvey, is backing a campaign to place small businesses at the heart of the Government's decision-making process. Launched in June by the FPB, the campaign calls for politicians to sign a pledge in support of the smallest firms – those with fewer than 10 employees.

The FPB is warning that small firms handling or storing credit card information must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), or face a fine, paying the full cost of an intrusive audit and having their ability to process credit card payments withdrawn completely in the event of fraud. According to the latest figures from the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS), payment card fraud is increasing. Financial losses went up by 14% to £301.7 million in the first six months of 2008.