Today trade body the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association published its submission to the UK government outlining its concerns for the economy and proposals for boosting investment ahead of the March Budget.

Mark Florman, chief executive of the BVCA, said in a statement this morning: "While we continue to support the Government's position on deficit reduction, there are several affordable ways to further support and incentivise investment in entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs. In particular we would like to see measures introduced to encourage wider participation by institutional investors in venture capital."