Scotland's Economy

  • Parliamentary statement on the Scottish National Investment Bank

    2nd December 2020 by

    Presiding Officer, the Scottish National Investment Bank was launched by this Government on Monday 23 November and I am pleased to outline to parliament how the missions set for the Bank will help direct investment towards addressing major challenges facing Scotland. In the months prior to launch the Bank has; secured state aid approval from...

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  • Advice for commercial property tenants during the pandemic

    1st December 2020 by

    I have held a number of very useful meetings with various organisations, including the Federation of Small Businesses, on the challenges facing the commercial property sector in the course of the pandemic. While many are familiar with the measures put in place it is apparent that this is not always the case particularly for smaller...

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  • Joint call for urgent meeting on immigration

    1st December 2020 by

    The Scottish and Welsh governments have today written to the Home Office repeating their urgent call for a meeting to discuss the UK’s new immigration system. The joint letter from Migration Minister Ben Macpherson and Welsh Minister for European Transition Jeremy Miles points out that despite multiple requests, no meeting has yet been offered since...

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  • St Andrew’s Day 2020 – One million words of kindness

    30th November 2020 by

    To celebrate St Andrew’s Day this year, the Scottish Government launched the One Million Words of Kindness campaign asking people to recognise the value of connecting with and helping others by reaching out to friends, family, neighbours and communities. Edinburgh-based illustrator Emily Hogarth designed a postcard for the campaign to help spread words of kindness...

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  • Finance Secretary responds to UK Government spending review

    25th November 2020 by

    Responding to the UK Government’s Spending Review, Finance Secretary Kate Forbes said: “In advance of this statement I urged the UK Government to follow the lead of countries like France, Germany and New Zealand by bringing forward an economic stimulus package worth £98 billion. The Chancellor’s announcement appeared to recognise the devastating economic harm of...

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  • Support for Scotland’s musicians and music industry

    17th November 2020 by

    Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop: Scotland has a well-deserved reputation for the strength of its music industry. From traditional music to the most modern music makers, such as Nova, the winner of this year’s Scottish Album of the Year, Scotland’s music is recognised throughout the world. It is a way for us to show who we...

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  • Freeports

    16th November 2020 by

    Statement from Trade, Investment and Innovation Minister Ivan McKee on freeports: “Freeports cannot and will not offset the damage caused by Brexit, which is taking Scotland and the UK out of the world’s biggest free trade area and single market. “Our ambition for Scotland’s economy is to continue to build a high productivity, high wage,...

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  • Finance Secretary responds to the Chancellor’s statement

    5th November 2020 by

    Responding to today’s statement by the Chancellor on further coronavirus (COVID-19) support, Finance Secretary Kate Forbes said: “I welcome the Chancellor’s positive, but long overdue, announcement that the Job Retention Scheme will be extended until March 2021. We have repeatedly urged the UK Government to safeguard jobs by guaranteeing that this support will be available...

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  • Parliamentary Statement – BiFab update

    3rd November 2020 by

    Statement given by Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop on Tuesday 3 November 2020:  I welcome the opportunity to address Parliament today on the current position facing BiFab. This Government has shown real commitment to BiFab, and we continue to explore all options to secure a future for the NnG contract in Scotland. I have been clear...

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  • Renewable heat scheme for Scotland’s SMEs

    28th October 2020 by

    A £4 million cashback grant scheme to encourage small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to improve energy efficiency and install renewable heating has been launched by the Scottish Government. SMEs will be able to apply for a 75% cashback grant of up to £10,000 towards the cost of a renewable heating system and a further 30%...

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