Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) financial and (b) other support her Department provides to pubs in high value property areas.

To provide support for pubs, the Government announced a freeze on beer duty at Budget 2018. The price of a typical pint of beer in 2019 will be 2p lower than it would have been had duty increased with inflation. Cuts and freezes to alcohol duty since 2013 have provided over £5.2 billion in support for the alcoholic drinks sector; revenues that would have otherwise gone to the Exchequer.

Many pubs are also benefitting from the business rates retail discount announced at Budget 2018, which is cutting bills by one third for two years. It is available to properties with a rateable value below £51,000, and is worth an estimated £1 billion to businesses. Up to 75% of pubs in England could be eligible for the discount, subject to state aid limits and eligibility for other reliefs.

Pubs are also benefitting from wider reforms and reductions to business rates. In total, since Budget 2016 the Government has announced measures which are saving businesses more than £13 billion over the next five years.