LOCAL BUSINESSES BENEFIT FROM £127 MILLION RATES RELIEF OVER SEVEN YEARS

New figures show that the Scottish Government’s business rate relief scheme saved businesses in Midlothian and East Lothian £127 million between 2009-10 and 2016-17.
 
Across Scotland, this scheme has saved taxpayers around £4.5 billion between 2009-10 and 2015-16 by reducing their rates liability and taking many firms out of business rates altogether.
 
Across East Lothian, the latest figures show that 2,018 local firms benefitted from this flagship Scottish Government policy in 2016 with 1,373 Midlothian firms also benefitting. This figure does not, however, include premises that qualified for the new 100% reliefs introduced, including Day Nursery Relief and the Business Growth Accelerator.
 
Commenting, local SNP MSP Colin Beattie said:
 
“The SNP is delivering the most competitive business rates relief package in the whole of the UK, saving businesses in East Lothian £66 million and £61 million in Midlothian over the last seven years. The Scottish Government will also spend an estimated record £720 million on rates relief across Scotland in this year alone.
 
“Since coming to office, the SNP Scottish Government has taken strong action to support business growth and jobs in East Lothian, helping to keep money in our neighbourhoods and boost our high streets.
 
“Only the SNP are taking the necessary action to help our local firms – and it is great to see over so many local firms benefitting from rates relief in 2016, a figure that will likely rise with the new measures introduced in this year’s budget.”