Tag: Holyrood

Holyrood committee backs Transport Bill … but calls for clarity

Holyrood’s Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee has endorsed the general principles of the Transport (Scotland) Bill but has warned that some of the proposed measures will stretch the financial rrsources of cash-strapped local councils.
 Continue reading Holyrood committee backs Transport Bill … but calls for clarity

Mentor plan for female entrepreneurs

Help to succeed in business

The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced £100,000 of new funding for an initiative aimed at driving entrepreneurship among females in Scotland.

The Scottish Chamber of Commerce will partner with the Scottish Association of Business Women to deliver the ‘Future Female Business Leaders’ programme.

The programme draws on Chambers’ skill and experience in connecting entrepreneurs with established business mentors who will provide them with direct support.

It will offer women help as they move into leadership roles, and includes an element to help to stimulate ‘internationalisation’of Scottish business.

Speaking at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce ‘Women in Business’ lunch, the First Minister said: “Helping more women to set up and succeed in business is both an economic and a moral imperative. By encouraging and supporting women to create and grow businesses, we can create greater equality which in turn builds a stronger and fairer economy.

“The Scottish Chambers represent more than 11,000 companies across the country with a pool of over 1,000 mentors dispersed widely across Scotland. We have invested nearly £400,000 this year on projects to support female entrepreneurship, which includes the Chambers’ Future Female Business Leaders programme.

“It is a scheme which will help some of the next generation of women business leaders as they start their careers. And it will also – if my experiences are anything to go by – provide enlightenment and inspiration for the mentors.

“One of the things that I decided to do as an individual two years ago was to become a mentor to a young woman. It is incredibly valuable to share experiences and insights with people from different backgrounds and with different perspectives.”

Dr Liz Cameron, OBE, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, welcomed the announcement. “This is a perfect example of playing to the strengths and connectivity of both the public and private sector.

“It is an economic priority to ensure that we create an infrastructure which will unlock the outstanding opportunities which exist for females in the workplace enabling more of us to progress to the very top. It will also be a beacon for others to follow, and at the same time, increase the number of successful businesses run by women to grow and expand their businesses.

“Mentoring will be integral to our focus, but it will be in wider terms of bringing together business leaders and other organisations who want to play a role in this development. We are also excited at bringing in an international dimension, identifying potentially new connections and new orders.”

Liz McAreavey, chief executive of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: “A drive to support more women to succeed in business is not just morally right, but also proven to generate better performance for businesses.

“More women on boards and in senior positions leads to better innovation, improved sales revenues and margins and increased satisfaction and productivity. For example, McKinsey reports that gender diverse companies are 15 per cent more likely to have financial returns above their national median.

“There is no doubt workplace equality and fairness equals improved business performance. I am delighted with the extra measures announced by the First Minister today and we will work with all engaged parties to ensure they benefit as many women as possible.”

 

In sickness and in health: Holyrood seeks your views on primary care

A major new inquiry has been launched into the future of primary care in Scotland by MSPs on the Health and Sport Committee. The inquiry calls on people to outline their hopes for the next generation of care, using a specially designed survey. Continue reading In sickness and in health: Holyrood seeks your views on primary care

SNP Car Park Tax to affect 109,884 workers, say Tories

The latest figures for travel to work flows show that 55,742 drivers travel into Edinburgh from surrounding local authorities to their place of employment and 54,142 drivers travel to work from within Edinburgh, totalling 109,884 drivers. Continue reading SNP Car Park Tax to affect 109,884 workers, say Tories

Holyrood backs Scottish Budget

MSPs back £42.5 billion budget

The Scottish Parliament has approved the 2019-20 Scottish Budget which provides £42.5 billion of investment in Scotland’s public services and economy. Scottish Greens support for the SNP budget ensured the budget was passed.

Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said the budget provides essential funding for health and care services, education, local government and economic investment, while ensuring that 55% of income taxpayers in Scotland pay less tax than those earning the same income in the rest of the UK.

The passage of the Budget comes on the same day as the Scottish Government’s Chief Economist published a report showing that a ‘No Deal’ Brexit would lead to a major dislocation to the Scottish economy, with the potential for national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to fall by up to 7% and up to 100,000 jobs put at risk.

Mr Mackay said: “The passage of the budget provides £42.5 billion of investment in our public services and economy delivering for the people of Scotland today, whilst building for our future. This is a budget that ensures stability, sustainability and economic stimulus.

“Scotland’s economy continues to grow and unemployment is at the lowest on record but our prosperity is being put at risk by the increasing Brexit uncertainty, and in particular the ‘No Deal’ scenario.

“Today’s Chief Economist report shows that a ‘No Deal’ Brexit would be expected to push the Scottish economy into recession during 2019, with the potential for the economy to contract by between 2.5% and 7% by the end of 2019.

“Such an economic slowdown would risk a rise in unemployment from its current record low, with up to 100,000 more people in Scotland made unemployed.

“This would be an economic shock on the scale of the 2008 financial crisis, and this cannot be allowed to happen.

“We will continue to call on the UK Government to immediately rule out the possibility of a ‘No Deal’ Brexit and extend the Article 50 process. As a responsible government we are also continuing – and indeed intensifying – our work to prepare for all outcomes as best we can. However, while we will do everything we can to prepare, we will not be able to mitigate all of the impacts of the UK Government’s Brexit approach.

“This budget safeguards Scotland as best we can, using all the powers and resources at our disposal with a clear focus on our priorities as a nation.”

You can read the ‘No Deal’ Brexit – Economic Implications for Scotland’ paper here.

The 2019-20 Scottish Budget headlines:

  • Provides more than £180 million in raising attainment in schools, including £120 million through the Pupil Equity Fund to close the attainment gap
  • Continues to deliver a progressive income tax system
  • Includes a public sector pay deal that continues the journey of restoring pay levels and provides an above inflation pay uplift of 3% for those earning up to £36,500
  • Provides the most generous package of business rates reliefs in the UK, and ensures more than 90% of properties in Scotland will be charged a lower tax rate than other parts of the UK
  • Allocates more than £600 million for colleges and maintains investment at more than £1 billion for universities
  • Increases direct investment in mental health by £27 million, taking overall funding to £1.1 billion, including improving mental health services for young people, and providing support in schools, colleges and universities
  • Increases investment in Health and Social Care Partnerships to more than £9 billion for delivery of primary and community health services
  • Delivers new and improved social security benefits based on dignity and respect
  • Provides local government with a real terms increase in both revenue and capital funding, and a real terms increase in total overall support, through a £11.2 billion settlement
  • Prioritises £500 million to expand funded early learning and childcare, supporting the recruitment and training of staff and investment in building, refurbishment and extension of around 750 nurseries and family centres
  • Includes initial funding of £130 million towards the establishment of a Scottish National Investment Bank
  • Protects the police resource budget in real terms
  • Provides more than £20 million for zero waste, supporting the transition towards a more resource-efficient, circular economy, including design and implementation of a deposit return scheme
  • Allocates £80 million for Active Travel to help build an Active Nation
  • Invests more than £825 million, as part of our total investment in excess of £3 billion to deliver 50,000 affordable homes over the course of the Parliament
  • Continues to invest in the £50 million Ending Homelessness Together fund
  • Provides more than £70 million in 2019-20 to drive forward sustainable and inclusive growth in the rural economy