Brewer slates Welsh MPs for failing to support debate
Today saw the Parliamentary debate to review the beer duty escalator, an important debate to save rural pubs and the brewing industry as a whole.
With more than 104,000 signatures, a campaign by real ale group Camra set out to urge the Treasury to review the beer duty escalator and scrap it.
The chief Executive of the West Wales brewer and pub operator, the Evan-Evans group, Simon Buckley said:
"The brewing industry in Wales was poorly served by its MPs in this vital and important debate.
"Only three MPs from Wales stepped forward to support the brewing and pub industry - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr Plaid Cymru MP Jonathon Edwards, the Tory MP for Conwy, and Albert Owen, Plaid, Ynys Mon.
"Where were the rest of the Labour and Tory MPs? They were noticeably absent.
"How can we ever get the support our industry so desperately deserves and needs if our elected representatives cannot support such an important debate and show moral support to us one of the major employers in the Principality.
"Noticeably, Welsh MPs like Wayne David, who has two breweries in his constituency, were in the chamber prior to the debate beginning and then disappeared as proceedings began to settle down.
"Pembrokeshire's Simon Hart, who has many rural pubs in his constituency, failed to show.
"It really makes you think that we are just a forgotten industry.
"I am disillusioned that the Welsh political masters simply could not be bothered to get to the chamber and add to the debate.
"MPs from Yorkshire, Scotland and from across the Home Counties all heralded their breweries and pubs, but little or no squeak from Wales.
"With a similar apathy in the Welsh Assembly Government towards the brewing and pub industry, perhaps it is now time for us to accept that we as an industry will continue to be taxed at ten times the rate of the US, and eight times that of France.
The debate was called by the Backbench Business Committee in response to the ‘Stop the Beer Duty Escalator’ e-petition (www.camra.org.uk/saveyourpint).
The escalator increases beer duty by 2% above inflation automatically every year and is making pub-going unaffordable.
As a result, the pub industry is struggling and pubs are closing at an alarming rate of 12 every week in the UK.
Mr Buckley said: “Enough is enough. The pub is widely recognised as one of the hubs of local community life. The Government must do more to support the pub industry. The beer escalator is damaging the pub and beer business."
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Jonathon Edwards supported the debate as a member of the All Party Beer Group in Parliament.
He said: “"Pubs play a vital role in our communities in promoting social inclusion and binding communities together.
“Consuming alcohol in a controlled environment in a pub is also far better than individuals drinking excessively at home.
“The taxation regime around beer needs to be targeted towards cheap booze at supermarkets rather than an escalator hitting pubs. The escalator pushes the price of a pint well above inflation.”
The motion for debate urges the Government to support Britain's beer and pub sector by conducting a thorough review of the economic and social impact of the beer duty escalator, to report back before the 2013 budget.
With more than 104,000 signatures, a campaign by real ale group Camra set out to urge the Treasury to review the beer duty escalator and scrap it.
The chief Executive of the West Wales brewer and pub operator, the Evan-Evans group, Simon Buckley said:
"The brewing industry in Wales was poorly served by its MPs in this vital and important debate.
"Only three MPs from Wales stepped forward to support the brewing and pub industry - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr Plaid Cymru MP Jonathon Edwards, the Tory MP for Conwy, and Albert Owen, Plaid, Ynys Mon.
"Where were the rest of the Labour and Tory MPs? They were noticeably absent.
"How can we ever get the support our industry so desperately deserves and needs if our elected representatives cannot support such an important debate and show moral support to us one of the major employers in the Principality.
"Noticeably, Welsh MPs like Wayne David, who has two breweries in his constituency, were in the chamber prior to the debate beginning and then disappeared as proceedings began to settle down.
"Pembrokeshire's Simon Hart, who has many rural pubs in his constituency, failed to show.
"It really makes you think that we are just a forgotten industry.
"I am disillusioned that the Welsh political masters simply could not be bothered to get to the chamber and add to the debate.
"MPs from Yorkshire, Scotland and from across the Home Counties all heralded their breweries and pubs, but little or no squeak from Wales.
"With a similar apathy in the Welsh Assembly Government towards the brewing and pub industry, perhaps it is now time for us to accept that we as an industry will continue to be taxed at ten times the rate of the US, and eight times that of France.
The debate was called by the Backbench Business Committee in response to the ‘Stop the Beer Duty Escalator’ e-petition (www.camra.org.uk/saveyourpint).
The escalator increases beer duty by 2% above inflation automatically every year and is making pub-going unaffordable.
As a result, the pub industry is struggling and pubs are closing at an alarming rate of 12 every week in the UK.
Mr Buckley said: “Enough is enough. The pub is widely recognised as one of the hubs of local community life. The Government must do more to support the pub industry. The beer escalator is damaging the pub and beer business."
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Jonathon Edwards supported the debate as a member of the All Party Beer Group in Parliament.
He said: “"Pubs play a vital role in our communities in promoting social inclusion and binding communities together.
“Consuming alcohol in a controlled environment in a pub is also far better than individuals drinking excessively at home.
“The taxation regime around beer needs to be targeted towards cheap booze at supermarkets rather than an escalator hitting pubs. The escalator pushes the price of a pint well above inflation.”
The motion for debate urges the Government to support Britain's beer and pub sector by conducting a thorough review of the economic and social impact of the beer duty escalator, to report back before the 2013 budget.
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