Common Sense for entrepreneurs: Scottish Conservatives want Business Start Up Fund and enterprise training

Scottish Conservatives want a Business Start Up Fund which will give real help to Scotland's budding entrepreneurs.

Speaking in Perth today, where she was joined by local candidates Murdo Fraser and Liz Smith, Annabel Goldie, Scottish Conservative Leader, said:

"Scottish Conservatives have always valued the vital contribution of entrepreneurs and small business to our economy. That's why in the most recent budget we secured £10m for business start ups, job creation and exporting which was part of a package which will create over 10,000 jobs. But we can do more.

"The rate of business start ups and entrepreneurial activity in Scotland has flatlined since the advent of devolution, at a rate lower than that of the UK overall. That is why we will create a Scottish Business Start Up Fund to support individuals access enterprise education, vocational training, and to provide grants and loans to assist in the creation of new businesses. Over the next 4 years, this will have funding of £154 million to boost the economy."

"Scottish Conservatives are also committed to delivering a step change in enterprise education in Scotland. Research from the Hunter Centre suggests that enterprise education doubles the likelihood of an individual becoming an entrepreneur. We will achieve this by making it compulsory to offer enterprise training at all colleges and universities, in partnership with local businesses."

"It is common sense to put our faith in our entrepreneurs so we nurture new businesses, design new products and create new jobs. The only way to pull Scotland out of Labour's debt legacy is to grow the private sector. That is where the jobs of the future will come from and that is what we are committed too."

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