Business in brief: James Fisher MARINE services group James Fisher & Sons yesterday said the current year has started well with trading in line with expectations. The Cumbria-based firm said its recently acquired Divex business in Aberdeen, which supplies diving equipment, was performing well and that its offshore oil division was benefitting from increased demand in the North Sea, Brazil, Africa and Asia. James Fisher's other Scottish interests include submarine rescue service Rumic, which is based in Renfrew and provides a standby service for the Royal Navy to rescue crews. Trade bodies raise red tape concerns Trade bodies representing the property and construction sector in Scotland have joined forces to voice concerns over Scottish Government proposals they claim will lead to more red tape and increased costs. The organisations said Scottish Government moves to bring in energy efficiency standards could add up to £10,000 on to the cost of building homes. In the commercial property sector, they said increased construction costs would come at a time when the sector faces continuing difficulty in accessing finance. First steel cut for Cygnus project The first steel for the construction of platform supports for the Cygnus gas field was cut at a ceremony held at Burntisland Fabrication's (BiFab) Methil yard yesterday. BiFab announced the £47 million contract win in August and said it will lead to 100 jobs and 15 apprenticeships being created across its sites, which also include Burntisland and Arnish, on the Isle of Lewis. Some £1.4 billion is being invested in developing the Cygnus field, which lies to the north-east of Norfolk and is one of the largest gas finds in UK waters in 25 years. Shares swap hands at Spaceandpeople MORE than £3.5 million worth of shares in Spaceandpeople, the Glasgow-based retail marketing group, have changed hands. Maurice Helfgott, along with Maurice and Michael Bennett, who all received the shares when they sold their company Retail Profile to Spaceandpeople in 2010, have disposed of them to institutional shareholders. Matthew Bending, chief executive of Spaceandpeople, said the sales had been expected. We are particularly pleased that their shares have been acquired by several new as well as existing institutional shareholders.