Beer Duty Escalator

Debate between Bill Wiggin and Andrew Griffiths

Thursday 1st November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Griffiths]

I congratulate my hon. Friend not only on supporting breweries but on managing to get both his local brewers into Hansard in one attempt, which is absolutely fantastic.

[Bill Wiggin (North Herefordshire) (Con)]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his generosity in giving way. He will be aware that we need it, as he is one of the few Members whose speech does not have a time limit.

Will my hon. Friend use his excellent speech and the sense of unity in the House today to ensure that people paying duty on beer do not fight with people paying duty on cider? We must stay united, otherwise the Treasury will win.

[Andrew Griffiths]

I completely understand what my hon. Friend is saying. Nobody wants one industry to fight against the other, but we are seeing a reduction in the brewing industry simply because it is being treated unfairly. All that we are calling for is fairness. He talks about cider, and he will know that there is a 50p difference between the duty paid on a pint of cider and on a pint of beer. How can it make sense to the Treasury that every time somebody buys a pint of cider instead of a pint of bitter, it not only disadvantages brewers but costs the Treasury 50p?