Inverclyde saw the biggest increase in business start-ups between the second and third quarters of this year, up from 50 to 70, as start-ups in Scotland fell by 16%, according to the latest figures from the Committee of Scottish Clearing Banks.

Inverclyde saw the biggest increase in business start-ups between the second and third quarters of this year, up from 50 to 70, as start-ups in Scotland fell by 16%, according to the latest figures from the Committee of Scottish Clearing Banks.

Overall, start-up numbers fell from 5465 to 4598, and were 11% down year-on-year.

It follows a 17% fall between the first and second quarters of the year.

Manufacturing start-ups rose from 174 to 196, but construction saw a fall from 701 to 574 in the third quarter.

Year-on-year, the number of new repairers to the wholesale and retail trades fell from 770 in the third quarter of 2007 to 519, while hotel and restaurant start-ups dipped only modestly from 449 to 428.

Inverclyde and five other local authority areas bucked the trend with an increase between the second and third quarters, with Renfrewshire up 28%, Midlothian 24% and West Dumbartonshire 10%. West Lothian, however, was down 33% and Highland down 37%.

Ceri Rogers, organiser of New Start Scotland, the country's largest business support exhibition, said: "Despite the number of new businesses dropping, it is encouraging to see that over 15,000 new business ventures have been launched so far in 2008 - the year of the credit crunch."