Support for Pubs

Many constituents have contacted me about alcohol duties around the time of the Autumn 2018 Budget.

As announced in the Budget, duties on beer, cider, and spirits have again be frozen. Next year, the price of a typical pint of beer will be 2p lower than if prices had risen with inflation; the price of a pint of cider will be 1p lower; and the price of a bottle of Scotch whisky will be 30p lower. This follows the removal of the beer duty escalator in 2013 and the unprecedented cuts and freezes in beer duty since then, as well as the removal of the duty escalator for spirits, wine and cider in 2014.

I support the fact that the Government is continuing to look at ways to improve the system of alcohol taxation, to ensure it helps to tackle binge drinking, dependent drinking, and those at risk of becoming dependent drinkers, and their families, without unfairly penalising responsible drinkers, pubs and important local industries.