A WEST of Scotland MSP has called for a push on digital skills to ensure nearby firms aren’t excluded from the economy.

Conservative digital economy spokesman Jamie Greene said locals “risk getting left behind” if their knowledge of the online world is not up to scratch.

His comments follow figures in the Business Digital Skills Index that show 30 per cent of Scottish firms lack basic digital skills and 60 per cent still need to invest in cyber security measures.

Mr Greene said: “Whilst there has been some improvement in Scotland’s digital skills, a third of our firms are still excluded from the digital economy because they lack the necessary skills.

“If we are serious about making of digital economy work for our urban and rural areas, we need to place real emphasis on this.

“As our economy increasingly switches to digital we need to make sure that businesses and individuals are able to take up the full benefits otherwise they risk getting left behind.”

He added: “Progress was made in 2016 and the digital investment package from the UK government was welcome.

“But technology is not an end in itself – it requires the right skills to reap its benefits.”