British Beer and Pub Association Freeze on Beer Tax

British Beer and Pub Association Call for Freeze on Beer Tax

With the March Budget looming, industry and consumer groups have warmly welcomed the tabling of a motion in Parliament (Early Day Motion 2785) calling for a rethink on new huge hikes in beer tax. The EDM, tabled yesterday by the Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group Andrew Griffiths MP, who represents the brewing town of Burton, already has the support of MPs from the three main parties, including Greg Mulholland MP, Chairman of the All Party Save the Pub Group.

The move follows an influential new report last week by Oxford Economics commissioned by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), which revealed that 300,000 16-24 year olds depend on the sector for employment. The BBPA, CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) and SIBA (Society of Independent brewers) say that with so many young people employed in the hospitality sector, pubs could be an engine for growth and create new jobs for young people – provided the Government calls time on job-destroying beer tax rises in the Budget.

Beer Tax hikes are now set to reach an astonishing 42 per cent since the Budget of March 2008, when the discredited ‘escalator’ policy was introduced by the previous government. Set at two per cent above inflation, this year’s tax hike could be over five per cent, putting up to ten pence on a pub pint.

Brigid Simmonds, BBPA Chief Executive comments: “I hope MPs will support this motion, as there is real concern about the impact of huge tax rises on beer and pubs. Beer is Britain’s favourite pub drink - a UK product that creates jobs and keeps thousands of pubs in business. If we get a tax freeze in the Budget, we could create and protect 16,000 jobs in the next three years alone.”

via pubs-for-sale.biz

Posted via email from UK Pubs For Sale And Development