Beer Duty Escalator

Debate between Andrew Griffiths and Baroness Primarolo

Thursday 1st November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Donohoe]

I am very grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving way. Will he reconsider his previous answer to me? Scotch whisky is the heaviest taxed of all the spirits, beers, ciders and wines in this country. [Interruption.] It is the heaviest taxed.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dawn Primarolo)]

Order. The hon. Gentleman will sit down. We are not discussing duty on whisky, as much as some Members would like to discuss it. We will keep to the debate, which is about beer duty and pubs.

[Andrew Griffiths]

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. What I would say to the hon. Gentleman is that 95% of all Scotch whisky is exported. In the UK, 87% of all the beer that is drunk in this country is brewed in this country. Beer is a great British manufacturing success story, which is why we need to support it.

--- Later in debate ---

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

I commend my hon. Friend on his speech, which is excellent as ever. Is not the point that beer duty disadvantages pubs against supermarkets? Supermarkets have 40,000 other products that they can cross-subsidise, perhaps by selling beer at a loss or a reduced price. We are in an economic mess because we have over-spent, not because we are under-taxed, and the Government’s solution should be to reduce spending, not to seek to increase taxation for ever.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dawn Primarolo)]

Order. There is a great deal of pressure on this debate, and I wish it took only a look from the Chair to remind Members that introductory remarks are supposed to last for 10 minutes or so. The speech by the hon. Member for Burton (Andrew Griffiths) has already lasted considerably longer, and I would be grateful if he would make progress so that others can contribute in full speeches, rather than interventions.

[Andrew Griffiths]

Thank you for reminding me of my obligations, Madam Deputy Speaker. I will come quickly to a conclusion.

My hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Philip Davies) makes two important points. First, supermarkets have the ability to force brewers to include in the price paid for the beer any increases in duty, whereas publicans, who tend to run small businesses, do not have that opportunity. Secondly, supermarkets use their bulk buying power to drive down the price and use alcohol as a loss leader, which disadvantages pubs.

Housing Benefit

Debate between Andrew Griffiths and Baroness Primarolo

Tuesday 9th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Griffiths]

I thank the Secretary of State for giving way. He will know that one of the myths put about by the Opposition was that councils in London were already booking bed and breakfasts across the city to cope with the consequences of this policy. I draw the Secretary of State’s attention to a website called FullFact.org, which has made some freedom of information requests to local authorities in London. I shall pick just a few. In Kensington and Chelsea, no such bookings have been made; in Wandsworth, no bookings have been made in bed and breakfasts; Lewisham council confirms that it has not made any bookings—

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

Order. That was supposed to be an intervention, not an opportunity to read statistics on to the record. I am sure the Secretary of State is perfectly capable of doing that himself.