Scotland tightens takeaway alcohol rules 14th January, 2021 by Owen Bellwood
Financial support for Scottish hospitality firms must be “expanded swiftly” to save businesses, as takeaway offerings are restricted under tougher lockdown measures.
The consumption of alcohol in public places across Scotland has been banned
Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has imposed new restrictions on businesses across Scotland as cases of Covid-19 continue to rise. There have so far been more than 155,000 cases of Covid-19 in Scotland, which increased by 1,949 cases yesterday (13 January).
In response to the rising case numbers, lawmakers in Scotland have tightened restrictions surrounding click and collect and takeaway offerings.
£1.2m for destination management organisations
£1m for B&Bs and guest houses excluded from the latest non-domestic rates scheme
Announcing the measures, Scotland’s tourism secretary Fergus Ewing said more work would be carried out to assess what additional support was needed in light of the announcement at the weekend of mainland Scotland moving to level 4 and the Scottish islands to level 3 from Boxing Day.
“The restrictions, as necessary as they are, continue to have a profound effect and it is fair to say that tourism and hospitality businesses are feeling it more than most,” Ewing said. “This funding will provide a vital lifeline in the build-up to what should be much of the industry’s busiest time of the year.
Marc Crothall, chief executive, STA SENIOR Scottish business leaders have written to the First Minister demanding an “extraordinary” funding package as the country prepares to move into lockdown on Boxing Day. The dramatic move last night to put all of mainland Scotland into level four for three weeks after Christmas Day – in response to the rapid spread of a new strain of coronavirus – has heightened fears over the ability of businesses to survive a further period of enforced closure. The leaders of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, UKHospitality (Scotland), Scotland Food & Drink, and Scottish Chambers of Commerce have today called for an “additional upweighted ‘extraordinary’ package of funding” to support firms, declaring that the new lockdown will usher in a “significantly more challenging period than any of us had previously understood or anticipated”.
Covid: Scale of the hospitality sector crisis is daunting – Scotsman comment
The true scale of the economic crisis caused by the Covid outbreak has, for many people, been masked by the vast amount of state support that has been poured in to keep UK plc afloat.
Friday, 18th December 2020, 12:30 pm
Pubs have been particularly hard hit by lockdown restrictions designed to stop the spread of Covid-19 (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Pubs, restuarnts, hotels and other tourist accommodation are facing a battle to stay afloat during the pandemic SCOTLAND’S pubs, restaurants and hotels may not recover from the pandemic until 2022 and is dependent on a global suppression of the virus, MSPs have been warned. Hospitality leaders have warned that businesses continue to be closed “on a daily basis” with Government support labelled “totally inadequate” to allow traders to cover the costs of enforced closures or restrictions. Appearing in front of Holyrood’s Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee, Willie Macleod, executive director for Scotland at UK Hospitality, issued a stark warning amid the “total absence of international tourism and travel” during the pandemic.