Scottish Business Briefing - Thursday 22 March, 2012
ECONOMICS
Budget 2012: Chancellor has ‘failed the growth and fairness test’
George Osborne failed to deliver a Budget to boost job creation in Scotland and offered “next to no new resources” for the country, SNP finance secretary John Swinney said in his attack on the Chancellor’s spending plans (Scotsman).
ENERGY & UTILITIES
Product to slash gas bills is backed by retailer
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdA small Scottish firm that has developed a product it says can help people slash their gas bills by 10% has won an early vote of confidence from a national retailer. Six months after launching its Umax water treatment system, Enviromax has won a deal to supply the product to Wolseley (Herald).
INDUSTRY
Public sector boost for Balfour Beatty
THE head of Balfour Beatty’s construction business in Scotland expects the division to increase turnover by 8% this year when its success in winning public sector work will compensate for the dearth of private contracts (Herald).
Serco and G4S land asylum seeker contracts
Outsourcing firm Serco was yesterday given a contract to manage accommodation for asylum seekers in Scotland as the UK Borders Agency awarded work worth £378 million over five years (Scotsman).
RETAIL
Shares suspended as Game board concedes defeat in survival battle
DIRECTORS have called time at Game Group after admitting that the company’s shares are worthless – making it the UK retail sector’s biggest casualty since the demise of Woolworths in 2008 (Scotsman).
B&Q-owner Kingfisher sees profits rise
B&Q owner Kingfisher has reported a 19% rise in annual profit. Europe’s biggest home improvement retailer, which also owns Castorama and Brico Depot in France, made £797m last year (BBC).