Cancel rise in fuel duty for the sake of the recovery Cancel January's 3p-a-litre rise in fuel duty. Freeze business rates in April instead of putting them up by the planned 2.6 per cent. Ditch the expensive Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) energy efficiency scheme. Give a National Insurance holiday for the first year of work among 16-24 year olds. Keep increases in the minimum wage affordable Reinvest the £4bn proceeds from the 4G auction in the roll-out of high speed broadband to aid online retail. The BRC warns that risks to the retail sector "remain on the downside." It says that while total retail sales growth over the last two years has averaged just 2.1pc, volumes have stagnated when inflation is taken into account. It warns that the "severe and long-lasting impact" of the recession has meant that one in nine shops in Britain stands empty. This figure rises to four in ten shops in some towns. Mr Robertson urges the Chancellor not to "pile more pain" into struggling households and retailers by adding extra cost. He says: "The Chancellor should not pile more pain onto struggling households or retailers by adding extra costs." Although Britain is technically out of a recession the BRC warns that "very significant" challenges remain. It says that consumer confidence remains close to the record lows of 2008. "Credit conditions remain tight for many households, causing consumers to become increasingly risk averse," the BRC says. There have been a number of high profile retail casualties this year. Comet, the electricals retailer, went into administration earlier this month. So far this year 47 retail companies with a total of 3,673 shops have failed.