Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make the temporary duty easement for wines permanent from 1 February 2025.

In August 2023 the Government introduced reforms to alcohol duty so that products are taxed in proportion to their alcoholic strength, not volume. The reforms aimed to modernise and simplify the system, to prioritise public health and incentivise consumption of lower strength products.

To help the wine industry adapt to the new duty system, the current, temporary duty easement was introduced as a transitional measure, which was intended to allow time for wine producers to adapt to calculating duty based on alcohol by volume.

The current temporary duty easement for wine is due to end on 31^st January 2025.