Responding to the Chancellor’s Budget speech, BBPA Chief Executive, Brigid Simmonds said, “The Chancellor’s decision to freeze beer duty and cancel his planned rise is an early Christmas present for beer drinkers and pubgoers worth £117m this year and in subsequent years. It will secure over 3,000 jobs in pubs and the wider beer supply chain that would otherwise have been lost.
'This real-terms duty cut shows he has listened to our campaign and the concerns of pubs and pubgoers, and acknowledged the special role that beer and pubs play in the nation’s social life.'
Simmonds continued, “With over 80 per cent of the beer drunk in the UK brewed in the UK, he has understood the important capital investment made in the UK by our members. This is absolutely the right step towards a fairer deal for Britain’s beer drinkers and pubgoers and a vote of confidence in a very British manufacturing industry worth £23 billion to the UK economy. Beer drinkers will raise a glass to the Chancellor tonight!
“This extension of the pub-specific rate relief is also very welcome and continues to recognise the disproportionate rates burden faced by pubs. Moving from RPI increases to CPI two years earlier than planned from April 2018 is really welcome as is in the announcement on three yearly revaluations. It shows the Government is listening to our concerns and this will save pubs £37 million this year alone.'
Simmonds concluded, “The announcement that revaluations will happen more frequently is good news too, as high rates bills for pubs often lag behind the trading realities.”