Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 17 September to Question 172413 on Public Houses: Non-domestic Rates, what evaluation has been made of the effect of increasing the duty on wine on (a) pubs and (b) the wine industry.

When considering changes in alcohol duty rates, the Government models changes in consumption driven by those duty-changes, but it does not explicitly model other effects on pubs and the wine industry. The Treasury takes all issues into account when setting alcohol duty rates.

At Budget 2018, we froze duty on beer, cider and spirits. Pubs, and other businesses, with a rateable value below £51,000 will also benefit from the business rates discount announced.