– in the Scottish Parliament at on 11 January 2018.
6. I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of interests and remind them that I own a small business.
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to improve small business confidence, in the light of reports suggesting that it is at a near-record low. (S5F-01901)
We are maintaining the expanded small business bonus scheme, which removes the rates burden for 100,000 premises. As announced in the draft budget, we will continue to fund the most competitive business rates relief package anywhere in the United Kingdom. We are also delivering a record £2.4 billion investment in enterprise and skills, and will invest £600 million in expanding broadband to 100 per cent of premises across the country. Of course, we are also on course to deliver the new south of Scotland enterprise agency as part of our plan to drive forward economic growth while supporting communities and resources in the area.
Before I ask my supplementary question, I take this opportunity to welcome pupils from Kelso high school to the gallery.
The Scottish policy convener of the Federation of Small Businesses, Andy Willox, said that the federation’s recent findings show
“a long-term optimism gap between a typical firm in Scotland and their counterparts elsewhere in the UK.”
He went on to say that
“If Scotland is to confound predictions of sluggish economic growth for the foreseeable future, then closing this gap should be a top priority.”
Will the First Minister listen to the concerns of small business and reverse the Government’s tax plans in order to help small business confidence to grow?
I am sorry: I thought that we were not allowed to make comparisons between Scotland and England. Let me get this right, just for clarity. When Scotland is doing better than the rest of the UK, the Tories’ position is that we are not allowed to say that, because comparisons are not legitimate, but when the Tories say that Scotland is not doing as well as the rest of the UK, it is absolutely fine to make comparisons. Are those really the rules by which the Tories want to play?
I will make two points on small businesses. First, as I said, we are investing significant sums of money in supporting our small businesses. We recognise the concerns that small businesses have about the economy generally—not just in Scotland but throughout the UK. That is why, according to the Federation of Small Businesses, the most important thing is support for continuation of the small business bonus scheme.
Secondly, in most businesses that we speak to—small, medium or large—the top reason for the anxiety and concerns that they express is Brexit. It is why so many businesses are so concerned about the future. We have seen again this week the ineptitude at the heart of the Tory Government, as it takes this country closer and closer to the Brexit cliff edge. That is why every time a Tory stands up in this chamber to talk about those kinds of issues, they should be deeply embarrassed about what their party at Westminster is preparing to do to the interests of this country.
What is the First Minister’s view of recent comments by the Tory party and, in particular, of Murdo Fraser MSP’s criticism of her Government’s aid to small businesses? Does she agree that that is another example of Tory double standards?
I tend not to take anything that Murdo Fraser says particularly seriously. Maybe it is just me, but I have come to realise that not much that Murdo Fraser says is particularly serious.
The double standards at the heart of the Tory party have been on blatant display to everybody. It calls for more money for the national health service while proposing tax policies that would rip £500 million out of Scotland’s budget—and that is on top of the cuts that the Westminster Government is already making. It tells us that we cannot compare Scotland’s performance with the rest of the UK when we are doing better, but it is quite happy to make such comparisons on other occasions.
Tory members in this chamber talk about the concerns of our business community while their party is imposing Brexit on Scotland, which will do untold damage to our businesses, and to our economy more generally. Every single one of the Tories, on all those issues and so many more, should be ashamed of himself or herself.