Chancellor praised for ‘lifeline to pubs and communities’
Keith Bott, SIBA chairman
By reducing the duty on beer by one penny on the pint, the Chancellor is offering a lifeline to pubs and their communities across the country, says the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).
SIBA chairman Keith Bott said, “We are delighted that the Chancellor has listened to the many voices calling for an end to the duty escalator – and then gone one step further by cutting a penny off the pint. It will be universally applauded by the cash-strapped drinkers, struggling licensees and a growing number of MPs across the divide who have campaigned long for this.
“A pint of beer should be an affordable pleasure rather than an occasional treat, and by stopping the escalator and taking a further penny off a pint, the Government is ensuring that draught beer – a relatively low-alcohol drink – remains Britain’s favourite tipple, as it has been for centuries.
“This move will generate growth and jobs in brewing, one of Britain’s few remaining manufacturing industries, and in pubs – both sectors that employ high numbers of young people. The revenue to the Treasury from this investment will far outweigh whatever they might have earned from beer duty.”
Bott continued, “Local brewers benefit from Government investment in the form of Small Breweries’ Relief, which enables them to invest for growth, resulting in a 25% increase in the number of people working in the sector last year. We hope that this beer-friendly Budget from a Chancellor who clearly has been listening to the industry and to drinkers, will help pubs to thrive again at the heart of their local communities.”
