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- Alcohol duty was cut in real terms for the fifth year out of six
- A new duty rate for ciders between 6.9% and 7.5% was announced, to come into effect in February 2019
- This is intended to incentivise strong cider producers to reformulate their products – if it works, a three-litre bottle of white cider will contain 20.4 rather than 22.5 units
- Accounting for inflation, beer duty is now 16% lower than in 2012; cider and spirits duty 8% lower, and wine duty 2% lower
- Cumulatively, these policies will cost the Treasury over £1 billion in 2018/19, and a total of £8.1 billion in the ten years to 2023
- 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
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