Alister Jack – 2021 Comments on Scottish GDP Figures

The comments made by Alister Jack, the Secretary of State for Scotland, on 23 June 2021.

The UK Government has taken swift and robust action to deal with the pandemic. We have supported more than 900,000 Scottish jobs, given thousands of businesses vital loans, and VAT cuts have kept firms in the hardest hit sectors afloat.

On top of this direct support, the Scottish Government has received more than £14.5 billion in additional funding. And the successful UK-Government-funded vaccine programme is giving us optimism for the future.

We are beginning to emerge from these uncertain times, and three consecutive months of growth is encouraging. But we know we still have a huge amount to do to recover our economy, and that families and businesses across Scotland still need our help.

A strong and stable recovery is the UK Government’s sole priority. Growth deals across Scotland have seen investment of £1.5 billion and our new UK-wide funding programmes will benefit communities right across the UK.