Small businesses on Britain's high streets are facing Covid-level pressures - but without the pandemic support, a government committee has warned.
A report from MPs in the business and trade committee says action is required to mitigate issues including higher taxes and energy bills being faced by small and independent firms that underpin both the high street and the economy.
The report cautions that the government risks accelerating closures and "hollowing out" the high street if it doesn't implement rates reform, The Times reports.
Among the measures the committee is calling for are an overhaul on business rates, a review of the VAT threshold, boosting policing to combat crime, and introducing more support for SMEs struggling with taxes and energy bills.
Committee chairman Liam Byrne said: "Our message is blunt: many small businesses now face pressures as severe as those endured during Covid. But unlike the Covid days there are no Cobra meetings, or daily press conferences from Downing Street, or indeed financial help to match the moment."
He added: "If the government is serious about growth, it must set out a more coherent and ambitious plan for the businesses that make up so much of the UK economy,”
A government spokesperson said: “Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities, and while we know they are facing a difficult time, we are determined to make the UK the best place for them to thrive.
“That’s why we are supporting them with a £4.3billion support package to cap big business rate bill hikes and by taking action through our Modern Industrial Strategy and Small Business Plan, and we will also publish a new High Streets Strategy later this year to reinvigorate our communities.”