Tax changes could save pubs from extinction

Hundreds of pubs will finally pull their first pints of the year tomorrow.

The moment will not come too soon for bar owners or thirsty customers.

But only a third of licensed premises in Scotland have outside seating, meaning the vast majority will remain shut until mid-May.

And even then, many local boozers wil l have been forced to cal l a permanent last orders af ter months of lockdown.

The hospitality industry, like many others, has suffered a horrific blow as a result of the pandemic.

This isn’t just about being able to enjoy a cold beer or a meal out – the sector supports hundreds of thousands of jobs.

It is going to take a monumental effort to turn things around and the Government as well as the industry itself must rise to the challenge.

One plan supported by Paul Waterson of the The Scottish Licensed Trade Association would see tax on booze bought in of f- l icences and shops increased, while giving a break to pubs and restaurants.

Researchers bel ieve this could cut problem drinking and provide desperately needed suppor t for an industry on its knees.

So long as it can be done in a Covid-secure way, it is surely a scheme that deserves consideration.

Coronavirus has taken a horrifying toll – families who lost loved ones will never be the same again.

We have revealed today that the bill for negligence in relation to these fat a l i t ies i n Scot land could top £1billion.

Thank ful ly, the young have in most cases avoided death and serious illness.

But it is they who stand to suffer the most from the economic devastation and we must rebuild to offer them hope.