Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many wholesalers have had their registration application rejected under the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme since that scheme was introduced on 1 January 2016.

Since the introduction of the Alcohol Wholesalers Registration Scheme on 1 January 2016, HMRC has received 9,984 applications for approval. This includes a small number of applications from non-wholesale businesses.

Over the same period, HMRC has rejected 811 applications for approval under the Alcohol Wholesalers Registration Scheme. This includes applications from businesses covered by an exemption, such as retailers who make wholesale sales unintentionally.