Oral Answers to Questions

James Morris Excerpts

Tuesday 11th September 2018 Commons Chamber

The Chancellor of the Exchequer was asked—

[James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis) (Con)]

1. What fiscal steps he is taking to support the pubs sector.

[Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham) (Con)]

2. What fiscal steps he is taking to support the pubs sector.

[The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Philip Hammond)]

Pubs are a vital part of our local communities and the Government are committed to supporting them, which is why I froze all alcohol duties in the 2017 Budget. That freeze, and cuts in alcohol taxes since 2013, mean that a typical pint of beer is 12p cheaper than it would otherwise have been.

Pubs are also benefiting from recent wider reforms of business rates that will be worth £10 billion by 2023, including the doubling of rural rate relief to 100%, the switch from retail prices to consumer prices indexing, reforms in small business rates relief that have taken 600 small businesses out of rates altogether, and the introduction and then the extension of the £1,000 business rates discount for pubs.

[James Morris]

Will the Chancellor join me in congratulating the Friends of Haden Cross, a pub in my constituency? Will he, in particular, join me in congratulating Tim Haskey and Jim Mumford, who rescued the pub when it was on the point of closure, and who, working with new management, have seen a 500% increase in takings since November? Does he agree that the Government should continue to provide good fiscal support for pubs, given their importance to our local communities?