Kate Forbes MSP
Written 28 posts
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy (Previously: Minister for Public Finance and the Digital Economy)
Statement following Finance Ministers’ quadrilateral
24th July 2020
Speaking after a virtual meeting this afternoon with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Barclay, Welsh Finance Minister Rebecca Evans and Northern Irish Finance Minister Conor Murphy, Finance Secretary Kate Forbes said: “We had a constructive conversation and the £800 million of additional new funding the UK Government announced yesterday is welcome and provides…
The Chancellor’s statement largely bypasses devolution.
13th July 2020
The temporary localised restrictions in Leicester and Dumfries, and further afield in Melbourne and Catalonia, remind us of the continuing threat posed by coronavirus (COVID-19). They also highlight the importance of rapid, targeted action in dealing with the pandemic. Robust national and international structures are of course essential, but to eradicate the virus we also…
Response to UK Government Summer Statement
8th July 2020
Responding the UK Chancellor’s Summer Statement today, Finance Secretary Kate Forbes said: “We called for an £80bn stimulus package to build a strong, green and inclusive economic recovery and while there are elements in this announcement to be welcomed, in particular the measures on VAT for tourism and hospitality, overall this package is a huge…
Scotland needs more financial powers to manage COVID-19
9th June 2020
by Finance Secretary Kate Forbes The coronavirus pandemic is the greatest health and economic challenge of our lifetimes. It has required an unprecedented response from government to ensure our NHS has the capacity and equipment needed to respond to the health crisis and to help businesses manage the economic impact. Looking ahead, our economic…
Digital skills success – first graduates from £1 million scheme
21st January 2020
People out of work and those on low incomes have been helped to develop their digital skills through a new fund. Digital Economy Minister Kate Forbes met with some of the first beneficiaries of the £1 million Digital Start Fund, who have graduated from CodeClan, to hear how the specialist training has helped them achieve…
Welcoming International Women’s Day
8th March 2019
Today is International Women’s Day. It’s also the last day of Scottish Apprenticeship Week. Although very different in scale and theme, both events share an overarching theme: creating and celebrating opportunity. The opportunity I want to focus on during this important day, both as a woman but also as the Digital Economy Minister for Scotland,…
Small Business Saturday: Digital support for small businesses
1st December 2018
Small Business Saturday is an excellent opportunity to reflect on the many ways that digital is already helping Scotland’s small businesses to grow – and it goes without saying that innovation is at the very heart of this. The Scottish Government is committed to giving small businesses access to cutting-edge research and technology to help…
Explaining GERS
28th August 2018
Last week the Scottish Government published its annual Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) report, which is now in its 25th year. As the various media reporting highlights, there is different (and often confused) reporting and interpretation of what the numbers in GERS actually mean. As Minister for Public Finance in the Scottish Government, my…