Scottish Business Briefing - Tuesday February 14, 2012
BANKING
Business calls for new approach after banks miss lending targets
BUSINESS leaders yesterday called for a “different approach” on lending practices after official figures confirmed that Britain’s biggest banks fell more than £1 billion short of their SME loan targets (Scotsman).
ENERGY & UTILITIES
Norwegian field fails to deliver
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Hide AdFaroe Petroleum, the Aberdeen-based oil and gas firm, yesterday provided a disappointing update from one of its prospects in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea (Scotsman).
INDUSTRY
McColl sells another business in multi-million pound deal
Scottish tycoon Jim McColl has sold another of his businesses, Swiss pumps business Maag Group, in a deal likely to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds (Scotsman).
MANAGEMENT
Lawyers cut costs to maximise profits as firms face pressure
PROFITS at Scotland’s law firms have risen for the first time since the financial crisis – but the headline figure masks tough times for the smallest and largest practices (Scotsdman).
ePERSONAL FINANCE
House sales up as stamp duty holiday set to end
Scottish house sales edged up in January as first-time buyers looked to beat the stamp duty holiday which is set to expire, according to surveyors (BBC).
TRANSPORT
Holiday firm woes ‘won’t damage Glasgow Airport’
THE head of Glasgow Airport is confident the recent troubles at package holiday operators won’t affect the fortunes of the transport hub, but warned greater support is needed in other areas (Herald).