Scott: Hotels will be stunned by enormous rate rises

4 March 2010

Liberal Democrats have revealed that business rates for many Scottish hotels are set to rise by tens of thousands of pounds on April 1 this year.

At Question Time, the First Minister insisted that this was nothing to do with him.

Commenting after First Minister’s Questions, Liberal Democrat Leader Tavish Scott said:

“We want to see a transitional period so businesses don’t suffer the full force of these rate rises.

“We know that the First Minister doesn’t set the value of every hotel.

“But his Government has chosen to hit hotels with the full increase in just one year.

“Previous administrations have brought major changes like this in slowly, over a period of time. The UK Government is doing the same.

“At a time of deep recession, the SNP are hitting Scotland’s tourism industry hard.

“On April 1, Scottish hotels will be stunned by painful rises in their business rates.

“Mr. Salmond can’t take Scotland’s hotel industry for April Fools.”

Ends.