Minister says Holyrood bonus scheme boosting Scots tourism

FINANCE Secretary John Swinney has claimed Scotland’s tourism industry is enjoying a boost from the Scottish Government’s small business bonus scheme.

As the Year of Creative Scotland gets under way, he said new figures showed 59 per cent of hotels and the same proportion of leisure premises were paying zero or reduced business rates in 2011-12.

Mr Swinney said: “The Scottish Government is committed to supporting business and to creating a more competitive environment and the Small Business Bonus Scheme is just one example of how we are making a positive difference.

“SBBS and other reliefs combined give Scottish business the competitive edge. More than 85,000 properties now benefit from SBBS as part of the most generous package of reliefs anywhere in the UK – a figure which represents two out of every five commercial premises in Scotland.

“Tax breaks through business rates are worth over £500 million in the current financial year alone.”

He said the SNP had committed to continuing the Bonus Scheme for the life of the parliament.