Hansard

The Scottish Government has set out a budget for 2011-12 that prioritises support for Scotland’s economy. It includes substantial support for Scottish business, including through our package of business reliefs, which is worth £2.4 billion over five years; support for employment, at a time when there are significant pressures on the labour market, including by encouraging small businesses to recruit, and, in the public sector, by maintaining funding for the NHS and protecting local authorities from the worst of the cuts; the provision of a record 25,000 modern apprenticeships in 2011-12; and continued investment in Scotland’s infrastructure, such as through the £2.5 billion investment programme that will be achieved through the non-profit-distributing model, which will help economic recovery.