Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies that a 4 per cent alcohol by volume pint of beer or cider contains more alcohol than a Scotch Whisky cocktail but raises less duty under his Department's reform proposals; and if he will make a statement.
The Government received evidence supporting this approach during its call for evidence held in 2020. As set out in the summary of responses published in October 2021, public health groups cited the correlation between cheap, high strength spirits (such as vodka) and alcohol-related harms, as the volume of drink needed to reach intoxication is smaller with higher strength drinks. The Government is therefore addressing these concerns.