Scottish spending on enterprise and economic development outstripping rest of UK

New analysis released today by the independent Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) has shown that spending in Scotland on enterprise and economic development per head now stands at more than double the UK level.

The analysis shows that in 2013-14 spending in Scotland on supporting businesses and the economy was £196.90 per head compared to £82.30 in the UK as a whole.

Almost 80 per cent of the spending in Scotland came from the Scottish Government and its agencies, the data showed.

This follows the publication of new figures which show that productivity in Scotland outperformed the UK in 2014 and across the whole period 2007 to 2014. Output per hour worked in Scotland increased by 1.3 per cent in real terms in 2014, compared to 0.4 per cent for the UK.

SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald said: “These figures show that the Scottish Government is committed to supporting and growing our economy, despite massive cuts to its budget made by a Tory government obsessed with austerity.

“While the UK Government has scrapped Economic Development Agencies in England and is expected to cut Department of Business spending by 53 per cent by 2020, the Scottish Government is supporting businesses, helping them explore new markets and fostering innovation.

“Almost 100,000 businesses are now supported through the Small Business Bonus Scheme – ensuring that we continue to have the most competitive business rates regime in the UK. And, if re-elected, we will extend this scheme for entirety of the next parliament.

“The SNP has a strong track record of supporting our economy and has an ambitious vision for the future – we will continue to work day and daily to support Scotland’s businesses, create jobs and grow our economy.”