Coronavirus: Diageo to pump millions into pubs and bars

The drinks company Diageo has announced a programme to help pubs and bars resume post-lockdown trade.

The licensed trade in Scotland is expected to receive £4m from the $100m worldwide investment.

The Raising the Bar programme begins next month and will help bars with hygiene measures, digital support and practical equipment.

Diageo is the owner of the Guinness brand, and one of the largest producers of Scotch whisky.

Registration for the programme has now been opened to bar owners.

The company said the impact of Covid-19 on the hospitality sector has been widespread, with the closure of venues the world over.

Chief executive Ivan Menezes said: "We are calling on governments around the world to provide long-term recovery packages to help the hospitality sector.

"These businesses play an essential role in bringing people together to socialise and celebrate - something that we have all missed so much during this terrible crisis - and sustain hundreds of millions of jobs, which provide a first foot on the employment ladder for young people."

Diageo has quoted a forecast by the UN's International Labour Organization that 436 million enterprises worldwide face serious disruption and one in six young people will be unemployed due to coronavirus.