SCDI responds to Chancellor’s 2017 Budget

November 2017 Following Chancellor Philip Hammond’s, 2017 Budget announcement, Mark Bevan, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) commented:

“Today’s statement reinforces what we know about economic performance. It reminds us that sustainable growth requires long term policy, public infrastructure, investment and talent.

“The success of our future economy requires long-term strategic issues to be addressed systematically, rather than a focus on tomorrow’s headlines. First amongst those challenges is the need to address our productivity challenge, and the initiatives which value young people and encourage them to study, live and work in our economy are a step forward. They will help all sectors to attract and retain the talent they need to become more productive.

“The potential for public service investment driven by the VAT reform on emergency services, alongside the investment in both the UK industrial strategy and further research and development are warmly welcomed. Scotland’s two governments have a clearly diverging approach to the economy and taxation.

“SCDI’s priority is to deliver an economy that delivers inclusive growth for every part of Scotland, working for business and working for society.”

ENDS