The BBPA has welcomed a debate to take place next Tuesday in Parliament on 'taxation of the beer and pubs sector'. The Westminster Hall debate has been secured by Mike Wood, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group and MP for Dudley South.
The BBPA said the debate, from 2.30pm until 4.00pm on Tuesday 31 October, will continue to put pressure the Chancellor to cut beer duty in the Budget on 22nd November, as well as highlighting the burden of business rates endured by pubs.
The BBPA is encouraging supporters of the #cutbeertrax campaign to contact their own local MPs, urging them to support Mike Wood and get involved in the debate, which coincides with a Parliamentary drop-in event, on the same afternoon, for MPs hosted by the BBPA in the Palace of Westminster.
The BBPA says the drop in will be a key opportunity for MPs to show their support for the campaign to cut beer duty. MPs will also be able to collect a detailed briefing on the impact of business rates on the beer and pub sector within their own constituency. On business rates, the BBPA is campaigning for an extension of pub-specific rate relief and its increase from £1,000 to £5,000 per year.
BBPA Chief Executive, Brigid Simonds commented, “I want to thank Mike Wood for bringing the vital issue of taxation in the beer and pub sector back to Parliament, next week.
“Current tax burdens are unsustainable. RPI increases in beer duty which have already cost brewers and pubs £130 million this year, are unsustainable and will damage investment if continued in the second Budget of the year.
“Our beer duty rates are three times the EU average, yet further tax rises are planned. Pubs shoulder 2.8 per cent of the business rates burden, despite generating only 0.5 per cent of business turnover. I hope MPs will show their support for their local pubs and pubgoers, next Tuesday.”
