Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 01 September 2020
I thank the First Minister for the advance sight of her statement. She has called the action to protect, support and create jobs our “national mission”, and I agree. To that end, I welcome a number of measures that have been referenced today, including increased investment in digital infrastructure and further support for youth training.
Such moves are welcome, but they remain insufficient. The First Minister will know that 99.3 per cent of all Scotland’s businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises. She will know that they support more than a million jobs and comprise more than half of all private sector employment, so it is disappointing that, although her statement today ran to more than 6,000 words, she missed out two: small business. Small businesses are vital to what happens next because, when global shocks happen, it is the efforts of individuals that pull countries out of the mire.
In the three years following the 2008 crash, 88 per cent of the people who went from unemployment to employment did so through an SME or through self-employment, so getting help for small business right is a fundamental part of getting our national response right.
Scotland’s small businesses have some specific practical asks. The first is for reassurance. While we all hope that we do not have to experience another Scotland-wide lockdown, the recent experience of Aberdeen shows how disruptive to small businesses local lockdowns are.
Yesterday, we proposed the creation of a hardship fund for firms that are hit by such restrictions. Such a specialised fund would provide reassurance to small businesses that help was guaranteed if they were told to close their doors. Yesterday, the First Minister said that she would consider all good ideas, so will she commit now to considering that one and give small businesses that reassurance?