The number of furloughed jobs in Scotland rose by just over a quarter between December and January, according to the latest HMRC coronavirus statistics. Provisional figures show as at 31st January 2021, 362,300 employments (14.9% of eligible employments) in Scotland were being supported by the Coron
Scottish Government
Finance secretary Kate Forbes is urging MSPs to back the Budget Bill when it comes before Parliament for the first time today. Ms Forbes stressed that the Scottish Budget 2021-22 – incorporating additional measures outlined to Parliament last week including the extension of 100% rates relief f
All £8.6 billion of consequential funding guaranteed to the Scottish Government for 2020-21 has been allocated to tackling the pandemic, a new budget update has confirmed.
Ahead of the Scottish Government's vote to agree rates and bands of Scottish Income Tax for the 2021/22 tax year, the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has outlined what the changes are likely to mean for Scottish taxpayers. The debate is due to take place following the Stage 1 debate on the Bu
Scotland’s GDP is provisionally estimated to have fallen by 0.3% in December, according to the latest figures released by Scotland's chief statistician. GDP fell as restrictions on economic activity continued at the start of the month and were later extended across Scotland after Christmas.
Scotland’s employment rate estimate fell over the final quarter of last year to 73.7%, according to the latest official labour market statistics from the Labour Force Survey, published by the Office For National Statistics (ONS) today. From October to December 2020, the unemployment rate estim
The volume of Scottish home sales fell by almost half in January according to an analysis of the latest Scottish Government data by property firm Apropos. The firm found that residential property transactions in Scotland fell by 48% between December and January from 13,570 to 7,050.
Economy secretary Fiona Hyslop is calling on the UK Government to provide further support to companies struggling to trade with the EU post-Brexit. Urgent financial assistance is needed to help small businesses hire customs agents to deal with the additional bureaucracy involved with importing from
Two Scottish Government funds worth £60 million to support people whose livelihoods have been affected by the pandemic are now open to applications. Grants will be available for mobile and home-based close contact service businesses – such as make-up artists and hairdressers – as w
The UK Government has provided the Scottish Government with an additional £1.1 billion to support people, businesses and public services affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Businesses across Scotland are to benefit from a £1 million funding boost from The Data Lab, Scotland’s Innovation Centre for data and AI. The Data lab has announced two new funding schemes – Data Skills for Work, and an SME data internship grant – to support further bus
Young people, those made redundant, and people who have been unemployed for a long time, will be able to access more support thanks to an additional £125 million from the Scottish Government. Announced in the latest Budget, the funding will help people impacted by the coronavirus pandemic acce
A further £17.5 million of emergency coronavirus funding has been allocated by the Scottish Government to support creative freelancers and the events sector. Of that, £8.5m will go towards the events sector – distributed through the Pivotal Event Businesses Fund and the Events Indu
A £70 million investment in economic growth for Argyll and Bute was agreed today with the formal signing of the area’s rural growth deal. The rural growth deal (RGD) brings together £25m each from the Scottish and UK Governments, and at least £20m via Argyll and Bute Council
The Scottish Government paid a total of £244 million to Scottish businesses in January according to new statistics. Payments to support businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic increased following the tightening of essential public health measures at Christmas.