Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the proposed alcohol duty system announced in the Budget on 2 November 2021 on the trend of increased liver deaths in the UK.

The Government intends to move to a new system that taxes all products in reference to their alcohol content for the first time. This will help to target problem drinking by taxing higher-strength products a higher rate of duty.

The Government is continuing to engage with interested stakeholders, including public health professionals, on these reforms. A consultation ran from 27 October 2021 to 30 January 2022, and the Government is now in the process of analysing responses. A tax information and impact note will be published following the consultation when the policy is final, or near final, in the usual way.