Chamber and committees

Paul Mitchell, how is business confidence in construction?

We could talk about housing all day, but Lorna Slater needs to ask her questions.

I was instrumental in setting up a quarterly meeting with the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce to better understand the challenges that businesses face. What is the relationship between the FSB and the chambers of commerce? Would you support a roll-out across the country of quarterly meetings of chambers of commerce with back-bench MSPs, so that they fully understand the challenges of business?

Colin Borland touched on business confidence and said that it is absolutely on the floor. I read that, in the fourth quarter of 2024, business confidence was at its lowest level since the fourth quarter of 2020. Why is that?

Okay. Thanks, Colin. Sara, I noticed that you were nodding away there.

Yes, absolutely.

Rose, do you want to come in again?

Duncan, did you want to come in?

I note that, in the FSB’s survey, 74 per cent of your members said that they were concerned about the rising costs of utilities, fuel—diesel and petrol—and employer national insurance contributions, and 59 per cent were concerned about the lack of growth. According to Goldman Sachs, growth in the first quarter of 2025 will be less than 0.5 per cent and it will fall in the rest of the year to close to 0.25 per cent. Scotland has two Governments: the Scottish Government and the UK Government. How far can those issues be addressed by each of them?

How important is the small business bonus scheme to small businesses? I noticed that 48 per cent of retail, leisure and hospitality businesses receive 100 per cent rates relief.