In the UK, Scottish pressure has been added to that south of the border for relief from increases in business rates for hospitality venues.

LT

UKHospitality Scotland has urged the country’s First Minister to look at the multi-million pound increase in business rates that it believes will seriously harm Scotland’s hospitality industry.

A Programme for Government is on the way in Scotland and UKHospitality Scotland executive director Leon Thompson has asked for a commitment that rates will not rise with inflation. The Scottish government is also under pressure from the New Deal for Business Group to look at non-domestic rates.

Said Thompson: “After an extremely challenging year for Scottish hospitality with the chaos of the Deposit Return Scheme and ever-worsening cost of doing business crisis, the First Minister has an invaluable opportunity to set out a positive vision for the sector.”

He said that the expected inflation-linked rates increase in April would deliver "a multi-million pound blow" to businesses and head room was desperately needed.