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IAS Budget 2016 analysis

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  • Freezes to beer, cider and spirits duty in this year’s Budget continued four years of declining taxes on these products
  • Accounting for inflation, beer duty is now 14% lower than in 2012, and cider and spirits duty 6% lower
  • Cumulatively, these policies will cost the Treasury £770 million in the next fiscal year, and a total of £2.9 billion in the five years to 2018
  • Lower duty results in higher alcohol consumption – the 2014 Budget alone raised drinking by 0.9%
  • Lower duty causes death and illness – the 2015 Budget was estimated to cause 6,500 more hospitalisations each year due to alcohol
  • The evidence that duty cuts benefitted pubs is sketchy, as brewers have retained the savings and off-licenses have continued to undercut them
  • Despite the Government’s claim to be supporting Scotch whisky with a duty freeze, duty is not levied on exports, and so cannot be considered trade policy

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