A CALL has been made to increase the tax on alcohol bought in Scots off-licences and shops, while giving a break to pubs and restaurants to helps save the hospitality industry.
The Social Market Foundation (SMF) think tank has suggested a 75 per cent discount on alcohol duty in the on trade, offset by a 34 per cent increase on the off-sales trade would be revenue neutral for the Treasury.
It says that would lead to a potential 36p reduction on a pint in a pub with an increase of 14p on a can in an off-sales or supermarket.
The think tank believes that harmful drinkers account for 32 per cent of revenue in off-sales - yet only 17 per cent in pubs.
READ MORE: Ministers receive legal action threat to save Scotland's night-time industry
Now MP Kenny MacAskill, has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak calling for an rise in off-sales duty to cut rates charged in pubs and restaurants believing it could help save jobs while reducing harmful drinking at home.
And it has the backing of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association.
Paul Waterson, of the SLTA: "We couldn't do this while we were in the EU but we can now and it is something that we should be looking at seriously.
"The pandemic has caused so much damage to pubs, bars restaurants and so on and this would be a way of helping that industry while also helping to combat problem drinking."
It comes as ministers faced potential legal action by Scotland's night-time industry which is trying to avoid collapse as it emerged some 19,000 staff have already been cut and 1000 licensed premises have shut due to the Covid crisis.
With licensed premises due to ease out of lockdown from Monday, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has warned that it will have to consider a legal challenge if there is no clear way for them to get back to trading properly and with no further financial support.
It revealed that nightclubs, city centre bars and music venues have already had to cut 44% of the 43,000 staff it directly employs in normal times and there are further 24,000 jobs at risk.
The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has claimed that the majority of night time businesses could permanently close within weeks after running out of money to pay furlough contributions and fixed costs.
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