Local MP, Sandra Osborne took part in the parliamentary debate on Beer Duty Escalator on Thursday in the House of Commons. The debate was called by the Backbench Business Committee in response to the ‘Stop the Beer Duty Escalator’ e-petition which has over 100,000 signatures.
Sandra Said:
‘The escalator increases beer at 2% above inflation automatically every year and is making pub-going increasingly unaffordable. The pub industry supports 877 full and part time jobs in my constituency. Pubs also inject an average of £80,000 into their local economy each year. They are already being hit hard by the current economic situation and will only suffer further with the escalation of beer duty as more people are purchasing cheap alcohol from supermarkets to consume in their own homes. This obviously raises other issues, for example, excessive alcohol consumption.
I was pleased to be able to highlight how the pub industry and pub goers in my constituency are being affected and hope that the Government will support the industry by conducting a thorough review of the economic and social impact of the beer duty escalator and report back before the 2013 budget.’
ENDS
Sandra Said:
‘The escalator increases beer at 2% above inflation automatically every year and is making pub-going increasingly unaffordable. The pub industry supports 877 full and part time jobs in my constituency. Pubs also inject an average of £80,000 into their local economy each year. They are already being hit hard by the current economic situation and will only suffer further with the escalation of beer duty as more people are purchasing cheap alcohol from supermarkets to consume in their own homes. This obviously raises other issues, for example, excessive alcohol consumption.
I was pleased to be able to highlight how the pub industry and pub goers in my constituency are being affected and hope that the Government will support the industry by conducting a thorough review of the economic and social impact of the beer duty escalator and report back before the 2013 budget.’
ENDS