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Retailers (Financial Assistance)
Scottish Executive Question Time — Finance and Sustainable Growth
2:15 pm
Jim Mather (Scottish National Party)
The Scottish Government recognises the vital role played by the retail sector with regard to employment, supporting local and regional economies, encouraging tourism and stimulating visitor numbers to Scotland and, in so doing, increasing sustainable economic growth. That is why we continue to support the sector through these challenging times. Last year, many retailers benefited from our £60 million investment in the regeneration and growth of our town centres, and we are prioritising skills and training and generating significant numbers of jobs in the Scottish economy through our economic recovery plan. There are encouraging signs that the approach is working, with Scottish retail output rising in the second quarter of this year, and we will continue to work closely with all parts of the sector through the Scottish Retail Consortium.