Most senior executives think that governement should reduce business taxes, according to a new survey.

The survey, carried out by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), shows that 74% of senior executives want even more financial support from government to help develop employee skills, 57% think flexible working regulations must be applied across the whole workforce and 51% want a reduction in business taxes.

Ruth Spellman, chief executive at the CMI, says: “We are calling for tax breaks for businesses investing in their staff and are developing our proposals with key partners. Put simply, employers should be encouraged to develop staff because a depleted organisation with fewer skills to call on is less likely to survive the recession.  It isn’t a question of baling out business or massaging unemployment figures, but creating a strategy for survival that reduces redundancy rates over the long term.”