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Scottish firms save £1.5m in environmental fees

May 12 2009

Scottish companies saved a total of over £1.5 million after the country's environment agency waived some of its fees.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) worked with the Scottish Executive to cut charges applied to many environmental permits, agricultural and fish farming licences for more than 5,000 companies.

Campbell Gemmell, chief executive of SEPA, comments: 'As Scotland's environment watchdog, we in SEPA want to protect the environment and enable business and industry to realise the many economic benefits of good environmental practice.'

Environment minister Roseanna Cunningham commended SEPA on its efforts to help the country's businesses and pointed out that the Scottish recovery plan encourages the public sector to support economic development.

Last month, finance secretary John Swinney called on Scottish public sector organisations to help the nation's small firms by giving them better access to contracts.

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