The UK Government has just announced that the freeze on alcohol duty will be extended to August 2023.
IAS’s Head of Policy, Jennifer Keen, responded:
“We continue to support the alcohol duty reform which was the subject of the minister’s statement today.
“Having said that, it is a shame that alcohol duty will be frozen until August 2023. Freezing duty has cost taxpayers billions of pounds in recent years and increased alcohol-related hospitalisations and deaths. With a record number of alcohol deaths in 2021, the Government has to start prioritising harm reduction.
“There isn’t good evidence that a duty freeze would even be beneficial to pubs – cutting or freezing alcohol duty helps supermarkets keep alcohol cheaper, contributing to the trend of home drinking, which only keeps people out of pubs and restaurants.”