Scots will throw house parties if an extension of the covid vaccine passport scheme puts them off visiting pubs or restaurants, MSPs have been warned.
Licensed trade representatives told a Scottish Parliament committee today that many businesses won't survive the winter if ministers push ahead with proposals to make proof of vaccination a condition of entry.
Nicola Sturgeon said this week that plans were being considered which could see the controversial passport scheme being extended to cinemas, theatres and other hospitality venues.
And her deputy John Swinney revealed yesterday Scots could soon be required to show a negative covid test as well as proof of vaccination before being allowed to enter some places.
The First Minister is due to announce a decision to MSPs next Tuesday but businesses have warned it could have a devastating impact on trade.
Speaking at a meeting of Holyrood's covid recovery committee, hospitality bosses said more restrictions would just encourage Scots to socialise at home.
Gavin Stevenson, of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said: "It would be naive to think if people are excluded from going into hospitality venues - because of they haven't got a covid passport, or perhaps they haven't been double vaccinated - they are going to go home and put pyjamas on and watch television.
"We have seen in previous waves of the pandemic substantial increases in house parties and gatherings in unregulated settings where there will be significantly fewer baseline mitigations being enforced.
"There may be worse ventilation.
"It was widely reported Police Scotland broke up 44,000 house parties in the last phase of the pandemic.
"It does seem to me that when roughly 90 per cent of the adult population is double vaccinated - what is it we are trying to achieve by implementing vaccine passports across all hospitality?
"Because there is no evidence to suggest the people who are excluded are not going to move to a less safe environment and continue mixing."
At the same meeting Swinney ruled out the vaccine passport scheme being extended to children.
He told the committee Scotland faced a "very serious position in relation to the the management of the pandemic" with the number of positive cases rising by 10 per cent in the last week.
The covid recovery minister confirmed an extension of the vaccine passport scheme was being considered as well as including lateral flow tests.
He added: "No decisions have been taken yet but the settings who could under the scheme in future include indoor cinemas, theatres, and some indoor hospitality settings.
"We would of course retain exemptions for those under-18, for those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, for people on clinical trials, and for those who work at events or venues subject to the scheme."
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