Scotland's Economy

  • BiFab update

    16th December 2020 by

    Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: In 2016 the owners of BiFab sought to sell the business. At that point DF Barnes became involved in the process and achieved preferred bidder status. The negotiations were paused when the managing director of BiFab sadly passed away. It subsequently became clear that BiFab would require external funding to...

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  • Minister calls for Scotland’s distinctive needs to be met

    11th December 2020 by

    Trade Minister Ivan McKee has written to the UK Government repeating his call for it to pass all monies intended to replace EU structural funds to Scotland. A copy of his letter to Scotland Office Minister Iain Stewart is below: Dear Iain, Thank you for meeting with me on Thursday 26 November to discuss the...

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  • Improving digital public services

    7th December 2020 by

    New report benchmarks Scotland’s digital progress against neighbours Scotland is ahead of the UK and most of Europe when it comes to digital public services but needs to do more to compete with Nordic countries, according to a new report. Researchers used ‘mystery shoppers’ to find out what it was like dealing with public services...

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  • BiFab update

    3rd December 2020 by

    Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “I know this will be an extremely worrying time for BiFab’s workers and we will continue to do everything in our power to support them and stand ready to work with any company interesting in taking on the yards. The skills and dedication of the workforce is recognised throughout the...

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  • 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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