The banks are ‘completely failing small businesses’ and must reappoint local Branch managers again, says Neath MP Peter Hain. Speaking to a meeting of the Swansea Bay Federation of small Businesses in the Castle hotel, Neath, Mr Hain said that official statistics showed over 40 per cent of small businesses applying for loans were turned down. ‘Instead of supporting business to invest and create jobs like happens in Germany and other more successful economises, the banks are starving them of finance.”