Figures show bankruptcy in Scotland is falling

THE NUMBER of Scottish companies going into liquidation and people going bankrupt has fallen to pre-recession levels, new figures have revealed.

Business minister Fergus Ewing welcomed the news but said there was no room for complacency. Picture: TSPL

Personal insolvencies totalled 2,633 for October to December 2014 –down 12 per cent on the previous quarter and by more than a fifth on the year.

Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB) insolvency statistics include both people who have gone bankrupt and those who have taken out a protected trust deed.

The number of companies going into liquidation also fell, to 193 in the quarter – a drop of 7.7 per cent on the previous three months and 15.7 per cent lower than the same time in 2013.

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Business minister Fergus Ewing said: “There can be no doubt insolvencies falling back to pre-recession levels reflects the improving economic picture in Scotland – but there is no room for complacency.”

There was a significant increase in bankruptcies in the 2008-9 period following the introduction of new measures which aimed to make it easier for people to take that option.

Since then, recent quarterly totals have “been steadier and are similar to levels recorded prior to 2008-09,” according to AiB.

But Bryan Jackson, business restructuring partner with accountancy firm BDO, warned: “Business owners need to prepare themselves for a bumpy ride in 2015 as patchy growth in many parts of Europe may impact on growth in Scotland.”