Business leaders in Oxfordshire say the Chancellor should make promoting investment in training a key Budget priority.

The Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry has joined the British Chambers of Commerce in urging Gordon Brown to announce a wide-ranging package of reform to boost skills and productivity.

The chambers are also calling for a reduction in the burden of business taxation, a new drive to cut red tape, and measures to tackle traffic congestion.

Frank Stroud, chief executive of the Thames Valley Chamber, which includes Oxfordshire, said: "This submission contains a range of practical measures to promote job creation and growth.

"Our members say staff recruitment and retention is a major issue and one that is stifling growth in a number of sectors.

"The chamber has long argued that investment in staff training and development is crucial, and it is vital the Government boosts support for this approach through the tax system."