Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increases in domestic excise duty on Scotch whisky on discussions to reduce tariffs and excise duty on that whisky in international markets.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
This Government is supporting Scotch Whisky. We have provided a series of cuts and freezes to alcohol duties in the past decade. The most recent alcohol duty freeze from Autumn Budget 2021, including the extension to 1 August 2023, represented a total tax cut of £2.7 billion over the next four years.
The Government is seeking improvement in market access, through negotiating ambitious Free Trade Agreements, including our recent accession to the CPTPP, and with other trade partners. We are also seeking to reduce non-tariff barriers through conversations with various other partners globally.
Found: 1 Cross -Party Group on Scotch Whisky , Incl.
Mentions:
1: David Mundell (Con - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) been great progress in promoting and increasing the export of traditional Scottish products, such as whisky - Speech Link
2: Allan Dorans (SNP - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) India is the second largest market for Scottish whisky in the world, making it an extremely important - Speech Link
3: Greg Hands (Con - Chelsea and Fulham) However, I can tell him that Scotch whisky tariffs are very much part of that negotiation; everybody - Speech Link
Mar. 05 2024
Source Page: Glasgow's financial, drink and arts sectors in the spotlightFound: Courageous also launched their first bottling of their King’s Inch Single Malt Scotch Whisky in 2021.
Found: (if re -registered): Recreational & Marine Boating Tourism , Scottish Economy, Food, Golf, Scotc h Whisky
Oct. 03 2023
Source Page: Scottish Secretary to visit Vietnam to boost trade links with ScotlandFound: He will be joined by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), in a drive to boost the Vietnamese export market
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the increase in alcohol duty on (a) economic growth and (b) job creation within the Scotch Whisky industry.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The potential impacts of the recent changes to alcohol duty rates were published at Spring Budget in HMRC’s Tax Information and Impact Note and can be found online: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-alcohol-duty-rates/alcohol-duty-rate-changes#summary-of-impacts.
This Government is supporting Scotch Whisky. We have provided a series of cuts and freezes to alcohol duties in the past decade. Before Spring Budget 2023, the spirits industry has benefitted from cuts or freezes to spirits duty at eight out of the last nine fiscal events, since the end of the duty escalator for spirits in 2013. The most recent alcohol duty freeze from Autumn Budget 2021, including the extension to 1 August 2023, represented a total tax cut of £2.7 billion over the next four years.
We have also undertaken the biggest reform of alcohol duties in 140 years and moved all alcohol products to being taxed based on their strength, narrowing the gap between spirits and still wine.
Further, we have removed punitive tariffs on Scotch Whisky imposed on the US market and are committed to protecting the interests of Scotch Whisky in trading agreements, ensuring that they face lower tariffs for export, and that the unique characteristics and global reputation of Scotch is protected, as demonstrated recently in our free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand, and the CPTPP.
Jun. 15 2023
Source Page: First Minister meeting with the Scotch Whisky Association: FOI releaseFound: First Minister meeting with the Scotch Whisky Association: FOI release
Jan. 26 2024
Source Page: Scotland Office hosts 'Taste of Scotland' food and drink showcaseFound: I saw this myself during a recent trade visit to Vietnam, where sales of Scotch whisky have already increased