Despite
a 42 per cent increase in beer duty since 2008, HM Treasury forecasts
that have shown that there will be no additional revenue generated from
beer duty despite planned increases over the next two years.
Commenting following the debate in the House of Commons, Dr Whiteford said:
“The
beer duty escalator, which sees the tax on beer increase by 3% each
year, puts local hotels and community pubs, as well as brewers, at a
real disadvantage when trying to compete against the big supermarkets. With
the price of a pint rising all the time, people are increasingly buying
their alcohol from supermarkets at a knock down price, and this results
in several interlinked problems.
“Not
only does it mean last orders for the community pub, buying alcohol for
consumption at home also leads to a range of safety concerns. The local pub is often a source of community spirit, but it is also a controlled environment. The
trend towards drinking at home has made cheap alcohol more widely
available and fuelled excessive consumption that contribute to a range
of health and social problems.
“The
Scottish Government has introduced a bill on the minimum pricing of
alcohol and this will go some way to alleviate the damage cheap alcohol
causes in our communities. However, the London
Government’s disproportionate tax on beer in pubs is not the answer and
doesn’t act as a deterrent to drinking; it merely forces drinking behind
closed doors. It doesn’t reduce drinking, it increases it while simultaneously jeopardising thousands of jobs.”