Chief Secretary to the Treasury has met with a range of
businesses in central Glasgow to discuss their ambitions for the
future and explain how the UK Government is committed to ensuring
they are able to be as competitive and productive as possible in
the global marketplace.
said:
Scottish success stories are central to our vision for a
flourishing post-Brexit economy and it was inspiring to hear
the ambition and drive from the businesses I met today.
I want to ensure the broad shoulders of the UK are helping
Scottish entrepreneurs and companies thrive. We are keeping tax
low so businesses can invest in jobs and training and ensuring
the self-employed can access Tax-Free Childcare support.
The UK Government is playing a vital role to support Scotland’s
economy, and we have also given the Scottish Government
significant powers to shape Scotland’s future.
The Chief Secretary later travelled to a nursery in East
Renfrewshire to discuss the UK Government’s Tax-Free Childcare
(TFC) scheme with workers
and parents. TFC offers working parents in
Scotland up to £2,000 a year towards their childcare costs.
Tax-Free Childcare broadens access to childcare support for more
working families, including parents whose employer doesn’t offer
vouchers and the self-employed who can’t use
vouchers. TFC is also fairer, with lone
parent households getting the same support as two-parent
households.
It is part of the UK Government’s commitment to helping Scottish
families keep more money in their pocket and supporting Scottish
businesses and entrepreneurs. Income tax has been cut by £1,000
for basic rate payers and fuel duty frozen, saving the average
motorist £130 each year.
The Chief Secretary is finishing her visit with a meeting with
the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Constitution to highlight her priority of
both governments working together to ensure Scotland’s economy
grows to create jobs and improve productivity.
The UK Government has committed almost £1 billion of investment
for Scotland’s City Deals to create the high-skill jobs of the
future in industries like robotics and creative technology. The
UK Government has also boosted the spending power of the Scottish
Government for public services by over £750 per household between
2016 and 2021.
