Scottish Government

The Scottish Government is exploring plans to grant local councils the power to impose a levy on cruise ship passengers. While a nationwide cruise ship tax has been ruled out, a consultation has been launched to gather views on whether councils should have the option to introduce such a charge. &nbs

Scotland has secured over £850 million in investment over the past four months, driven by strong interest in its burgeoning energy transition sector. The total is boosted today by the Scottish National Investment Bank’s (SNIB) announcement of £6.7m for Subsea Micropiles, which is d

Scotland’s focused global trading strategy is producing tangible results, Business Minister Richard Lochhead has told an audience of Scottish exporters. The Scottish Government’s sector-specific export plans target action on areas of strength, such as renewable energy, technology, life s

Bruce Cartwright CA, CEO of ICAS, has responded to Holyrood's approval of The Scottish Government's 2025-26 Budget, describing it as a "short-term fix" lacking a long-term tax strategy and a clear reform roadmap for public services. The budget includes £21.7 billion for health and social care,

A new report, the Gender Export Gap, has revealed that Scotland could boost its economy by billions of pounds if women-led businesses exported at the same rate as those led by men. The report estimates a potential increase in trade of between £3.4 billion and £10.3bn over two years. From

Start-up tech companies participating in the Scottish Government’s Techscaler business accelerator programme have raised more than £118 million of capital investment in the past two years. It comes from both private and public sources and is supporting businesses in sectors such as medic

Scotland's Chief Statistician has published the local government finance figures for 2023-24. Councils' net revenue expenditure, which covers the annual cost of delivering services, totalled £14,296 million. Education and Social Work accounted for the largest portions, at £6,960m and &po

Analysis published today by the office of the chief economic advisor has estimated Brexit trade barriers could impact Scotland’s economy by £4 billion. This estimated economic cost is from the reduction in trade alone – not counting changes to productivity, investment or migration.

The Scottish Government is urging closer energy cooperation with Europe to reduce energy bills and stimulate investment. In a report published ahead of planned UK government talks with the EU, Holyrood has outlined several opportunities for greater alignment with the European Union on energy.

A lord ordinary has ruled that a waste management company is entitled to sue the Scottish Government over its decision to delay the coming into effect of the Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland. Biffa Waste Services Ltd, which committed around £51.4 million towards implementation of the DRS, so

The latest round of the Scottish Inward Investment Catalyst Fund (IICF) has awarded three projects up to £10,000 each. The fund, supported by Interface and the Scottish Government, attracts investment through R&D with Scottish universities.

First Minister John Swinney has signed an updated Partnership Agreement with the City of London Corporation. The agreement focuses on shared priorities, including securing investment in Scotland, advancing new technologies, funding nature projects, and promoting Scotland’s financial sector glo

Scotland’s cities must be at the heart of economic success as “great places to live, work and invest”, minister for employment and investment Tom Arthur will tell a group of senior business leaders in London. At today’s Scottish Cities Week opening event, Mr Arthur will champ

More than 456,000 people are due to receive inter Heating Payments totalling £26.8 million this winter, social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville will tell MSPs today. Updating the Scottish Parliament on support with fuel costs for people on low incomes, Ms Somerville will confirm the S

Scotland’s schoolchildren are being inspired to develop their entrepreneurial skills through a set of storybooks taking inspiration from the Pixar Inside Out movies. The cartoon books will introduce a number of illustrated characters, each representing an entrepreneurial skill, with a pro