Draft Wine (Revocation and Consequential Provision) Regulations 2023

Debate between Jeremy Quin and Mark Spencer

Monday 4th December 2023 General Committees

[Mark Spencer]

We are really hopeful that it will be a significant positive and give flexibility to wine blenders here in the UK. It will also allow them to improve the quality of what they sell in UK markets and around the world. We very much hope that it will give the industry the freedom to be flexible and to respond to consumers’ changing tastes at the same time.

[Jeremy Quin (Horsham) (Con)]

Sussex is very proud of its wine industry, which is growing year by year. There is a huge amount to be proud of—

[Jeremy Quin]

My hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne concurs from a sedentary position.

To pick up on the point made by the hon. Member for Easington, the growth of the wine industry brings benefits not only to the industry itself but to tourism. I very much welcome these proposals, and we see a lot of potential in Sussex for us to grow not only the industry itself but, more broadly, its positive impact on tourism.

[Mark Spencer]

My right hon. Friend is a great advocate and consumer of wine. He will be aware that Sussex is quite unique: it has its own geographical indicator and protections for its English wine and its English sparkling wine. I am grateful for his support and that of his constituents.

[Jeremy Quin]

I thank my right hon. Friend for what I believe is a compliment.

[Mark Spencer]

To get back to the matters at hand, the majority of these reforms will apply only in England. However, the Welsh Government and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have agreed to pursue future reforms together, allowing the benefits to flow to the wine industry across both nations, and we continue to encourage Scotland to make similar reforms.

Together, these changes will liberalise the growing wine industry and address issues faced by our wine businesses. I hope I have said enough to assure members of the Committee of the need for this instrument. It is the first part of a broader package of reforms that will give our thriving wine and alcoholic drinks sectors greater flexibility and support in the future.