Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the merits of directly linking alcohol duty to alcohol content; and if he will make a statement.

The government keeps all excise duties and structures under review. HM Treasury monitors their impacts and engages with a wide variety of organisations, including alcohol producers and public health groups, to understand industry developments.

HM Treasury is currently examining options to amend the structure of the alcohol duty system so that duty rates better correspond to alcoholic strength. A consultation on alcohol duty structures recently ended on 12 June. It sought to gather evidence on the impact of a low strength wine band and a still cider band targeting ‘white’ ciders.