Enterprise budget cuts 'a mistake'

CUTTING the budget of enterprise agencies will not create a world-class entrepreneurial culture, South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has warned.

Speaking during a debate in the Scottish Parliament on Empowering Entrepreneurs and Innovators, he criticised the Scottish Government for slashing support for enterprise agencies and colleges.

And he highlighted the impact of cuts on South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE): whose funding was reduced by over 25 per cent, equating to an £8.7 million cut.

Mr Smyth said: “We cannot afford a strategy that continues to overpromise and underdeliver.

“We need a different approach—one in which our enterprise agencies pivot, and are empowered to provide long-term strategic support for entrepreneurship; in which colleges are properly funded to deliver the skills that businesses need; in which in-work training and digital education are seen as national priorities; and in which the Scottish Government uses its influence to bring together industry, academia and communities to drive innovation and to share its rewards.”