EAT-OUT SCHEME USAGE DETAILED
Glasgow city centre ranks top in Scotland for use
HUNGRY Glaswegians saved more than £7 million through the UK Government’s Help Out to Eat Out scheme last summer, figures have shown.
Savvy city diners claimed more than 1.2 million meals as the Government picked up half of restaurant and cafe bills throughout the month of August.
A total of 666 eateries across Glasgow took part in offering discounted breakfasts, lunches and dinners as punters enjoyed up to £10 off food and drink for three days each week.
The controversial initiative was brought in by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in a bid to help the hospitality industry recover from the first coronavirus lockdown.
As fears were raised that the scheme had contributed to a second surge of Covid cases, First Minster Nicola Sturgeon noted that “maybe it would have been better if it hadn’t happened”.
The Treasury insisted that there was no direct correlation between the scheme and local infection rates, as it revealed the figures on the scheme’s use.
A spokesman said: “These figures confirm that take-up of Eat Out to Help Out does not correlate with incidence of Covid regionally and, indeed, where it does the relationship is negative.”
Across Scotland, consumers saved £43m on more than seven million meals.
Glasgow city centre recorded the highest level of participation, while Edinburgh North and Leith had a relatively lower level.
A spokesman for the Treasury added: “As we have done throughout the pandemic, we have worked with creativity and at pace to support individuals and businesses.
“We designed the Eat Out to Help Out scheme to protect two million jobs in hospitality, an industry whose employees are at high risk of long-term unemployment in the event of redundancy.
“It protected jobs across the UK by bringing back 400,000 people from furlough while safely restoring consumer confidence.”
Meanwhile, Scotland recorded another six coronavirus-related deaths yesterday as cases increased by 1003 overnight.
It brings the death toll under this measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – to 6106.
Of the new cases, 291 were recorded in Greater Glasgow and Clyde with 176 in neighbouring region Lanarkshire.
Currently, there are 1941 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus – down by 11 from the previous day’s figures.
Of that number, 143 patients are in intensive care, which is up by one.