The Visitor Levy Bill, passed on Tuesday (28 June) by the Scottish Parliament, concludes a decade-long debate on whether councils should have the authority to introduce a visitor levy or tourist tax. The Bill empowers councils to consider and potentially implement such a levy, although it won't come into effect until 2026 at the earliest.
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Published: 12 April, 2024
The Scottish government has announced legislation to improve the rights of tied pub tenants.
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Published: 11 March, 2024
Research conducted by the price comparison website money.co.uk has found that the hospitality industry has been the most affected by cost increases.
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Published: 07 March, 2024
Taking a glass-half-full approach, much of the right-wing press applauded Jeremy Hunt’s extension of the alcohol duty freeze till February 2025, described as a ‘victory for drinkers’ up and down the country by one tabloid.
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Published: 28 February, 2024
The Scottish Budget for 2024-25 was passed unchanged at Holyrood yesterday (27 February), with hospitality businesses north of the border hanging in the balance.
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Published: 09 February, 2024
The minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol in Scotland will rise from 50p to 65p, Holyrood has announced.
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Published: 18 December, 2023
New analysis has revealed that thousands of Scottish hospitality businesses will be left unsupported if a rates relief isn’t included in the Scottish Budget tomorrow (19 December).
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Published: 14 December, 2023
UKHospitality Wales has called on the Welsh government to boost beleaguered pubs, hotels and restaurants in Wales and provide vital business rates relief in next week’s Budget.
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Published: 06 November, 2023
The (SLTA) Scottish Licensed Trade Association has said it is “bitterly disappointed” that a long-established Glasgow family business has lost its court battle against the city’s low emission zone (LEZ).
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Published: 03 October, 2023
The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) is pleading for more support to help protect the hospitality sector, as venues report the crippling impact of staff vacancies and ‘a continued wave of cost increases’.
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Published: 03 March, 2023
The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) continues to express serious concerns over the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) ahead of the August launch date with many questions about its operation still unanswered and small businesses still disadvantaged.
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Published: 31 January, 2023
Scotland’s pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels face an unprecedented cocktail of challenges, according to the most recent Scottish Licenced Trade Association (SLTA) survey.
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Published: 11 January, 2023
The goverment has announced a new energy support for businesses that will take effect from 1 April 2023, although at a lower rate than the present scheme.
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Published: 09 September, 2022
The six-month energy cap unveiled by the Prime Minister yesterday has been met with a smattering of optimism among businesses. Though predictably, the resounding consensus from many corners of the trade is that the measure does not nearly go far enough in limiting the impact of exorbitant energy costs.
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A £15bn package aimed at helping households deal with inflation and the rising cost of energy bills comes just one day after the Sue Gray report was published – a move that has prompted critics to question the rationale and timing of the sudden windfall for British consumers. Also, they ask, where is the support for business?
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Published: 26 January, 2022
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced yesterday (January 25) that office workers would be allowed to return to their desks from 31 January, a move that has been enthusiastically welcomed by the Scottish Licensed Trade Association.
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Published: 12 January, 2022
Nicola Sturgeon's announcement that the limitations and restrictions on indoor dining would continue until at least 24 January has been widely condemned by interest groups in Scotland.
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Published: 22 December, 2021
Businesses are split in their response to the Treasury's £1 billion support package, with enthusiasm from some quarters, while others have claimed that the amount “borders on insulting”.
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Published: 10 December, 2021
SNP finance secretary Kate Forbes outlined the 2021/22 budget in the Scottish parliament yesterday (9 December), with some good news for ailing retailers and hospitality venues.
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Published: 18 November, 2021
A perfect storm of Covid-19, Brexit and a struggling hospitality sector has delayed the introduction of Scotland's inaugural DRS scheme, according to Scottish Minister Lorna Slater.
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