Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps his Department has taken to help support pubs with increases in the cost of living.

The Government believes that pubs make an important contribution to our culture, fostering a sense of place and community, and the UK economy. And we understand the challenges pubs are facing.

That is why the new alcohol duty system implemented on 1 August 2023 included a new Draught Relief that provides a significant duty discount on alcohol sold in containers of 20 litres or more in pubs and other on-trade venues. As well as this, the Government’s ‘Brexit Pubs Guarantee,’ confirms that the duty on a draught pint will always be lower than its equivalent in a supermarket.

Pubs also benefit from a broader package of business rates support worth £13.6bn over the next five years, including a Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief scheme which increased from 50% to 75% relief in 2023-24. And community assets have benefitted from the Community Ownership Fund, which has allocated £49.3m to 195 projects across the UK, including pubs.