Changes to ensure public contracts do more to boost jobs, apprenticeships and the Scottish economy were revealed today.

The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on new laws designed to improve the way the public sector buys goods, works and services, in an attempt to make procurement processes more transparent, streamlined and standardised.

The Scottish public sector spends more than £9 billion every year and, in 2011, over 45% of this spending was with small or medium sized businesses.

And of the contracts awarded through Public Contracts Scotland, Scotland's national contract advertising portal, around 75% went to businesses registered from a Scottish address.

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The consultation on the Procurement Reform Bill will also explore substantially expanding the use of community-benefit clauses in higher value contracts, helping to promote training, apprenticeships and opportunities for the disabled and long-term unemployed.

Infrastructure secretary Alex Neil said: "Good public procurement is a vital contributor to growing the economy and creating jobs and training opportunities.

"More than £9 billion is spent each year through public sector contracts and this Bill will mean that money works as hard as it can for our economy. That will include producing more training opportunities, for example through making apprenticeships an integral part of major public contracts."

Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce welcomed the news and said: "We intend to work with our members and the business community to ensure that this legislation delivers for Scottish businesses."

(NE/GK)