Cut the Beer Tax

The British Beer and Pub Association and the Society of Independent Brewers have launched a campaign called “I’m Backing the pub” in an attempt to persuade the Government to cut the tax on beer.

As Co-Chairman of the Assembly’s All Party Beer Group I welcome this.
Recent research conducted by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has found that many local pubs are struggling and around 1,300 pubs nationwide are currently under threat of closure.

Some of these are in rural communities in Wales-communities that may already have lost their post office, their village shop or their small school.

When you bear in mind the important role that pubs play in our communities, rural and urban, I am amazed that the Assembly Government has not undertaken any study into the impact of pub closures in Wales.

Labour seems happy to use pubs as unofficial tax collectors and yet is reluctant to stop this vital sector of the economy being taxed out of existence.