Brian Whittle MSP has welcomed the Chancellor’s announcements for Scotland in the UK Budget.
Among the measures Rishi Sunak announced were an extension to the furlough scheme until September, continuing the VAT cut for hospitality businesses for another six months and freezing fuel duty for another year. The Chancellor also confirmed that this budget will see an additional £1.2billion coming to the Scottish Government through the Barnett formula on top of existing funding.
The Chancellor also confirmed that he would improve the terms of the Ayrshire Growth Deal, accelerating them by bringing forward over £25million of funding to be spent over ten years rather than fifteen. This will help support job creation and economic redevelopment as the area recovers from the effects of the pandemic.
Commenting on the Budget, Brian Whittle MSP said:
“This budget delivers substantial support and investment to people, businesses and communities across Scotland.
The extension of the furlough scheme will give businesses some much-needed clarity about how long support will be available and it’s now up to the Scottish Government to provide much more detail about when and how restaurants, hotels and other businesses will be able to reopen.
I’m particularly pleased that the Chancellor has accelerated the Ayrshire Growth Deal as this was something I had raised with the Secretary of State for Scotland previously. Delivering this money sooner will give us more opportunities to create high quality, skilled jobs and grow businesses across Ayrshire.
This budget is another sign of the UK Government’s commitment to Scotland and it will help rebuild communities and the economy across Ayrshire as we begin to move past the pandemic.”
