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The UK Treasury has announced a further £4 billion in support for businesses as Scotland and England return to a state of full lockdown

Mainland Scotland will be put into lockdown for the whole of January from midnight tonight (4th January).

The Scottish Government has outlined details of a £104 million new year hospitality and tourism support package – including over £50 million earmarked for businesses with rateable values over £51,000 which were left out of its earlier grants schemes.

An “additional upweighted ‘extraordinary’ package of funding” must be urgently identified from Scottish and UK government budgets to support hospitality businesses and the supply chain when further coronavirus lockdown measures kick in on Boxing Day, business trade groups have said.

Pubs and restaurants across Scotland will have to close from Boxing Day after first minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed all of mainland Scotland will be put under level four restrictions from 26th December.

Premises in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and East Lothian will not be allowed to sell alcohol and can only trade until 6pm from Friday (18th December) after first minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that all three local authority areas will be put under level three restrictions

Minor changes to trading restrictions under the Scottish Government’s coronavirus levels system could more than double the economic viability of Scotland’s hospitality businesses, and help secure the future of 1800 businesses and 32,500 jobs, according to a new study

Licensed premises will be able to play background music (or sound from televisions) for the first time since August under newly-published Scottish Government guidance

Trade groups have welcomed the announcement of further financial support for businesses – but cautioned that more will be needed if the sector is to recover

The Scottish Government has pledged an additional £60 million to support Scotland’s tourism industry in the New Year, with additional one-off grants for hospitality businesses valued at a further £30m