Commenting on the Scottish Government’s update on the progress of the establishment of Green Ports in Scotland, Dr Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce said:

“This is an incredibly disappointing development and it is highly regrettable that a shared agreement on the design and implementation of a freeports model for Scotland could not be reached between the Scottish and UK Governments. This situation should have been avoided and many businesses will view the lack of cooperation and partnership with dismay.

“The UK Government’s decision to move forward on its own, whilst disappointing, will be welcomed by many ports who have invested significant time and money in anticipation for bidding for the status. We need to receive details urgently of how businesses can bid and what the next steps are. We cannot afford any further delays especially when Scotland is already behind other parts of the UK, impacting on our ability to attract global investment.

“We also understand the Scottish Government intends to pursue its Green Ports model. Businesses will need the detail of how this will operate and will urgently need confirmation from both governments that investment incentives will be mirrored across the UK to prevent competitive disadvantage for Scottish businesses.”