The Alcohol Health Alliance UK have submitted a representation ahead of the Spring 2023 budget, setting out:
- the record-high alcohol harm rates, which are continuing to grow
- how duty is an effective way of reducing harm whilst also raising revenue to address harm (successive cuts and freezes since 2012 have cost the HM Treasury £8.6 billion to date)
- that reforms to alcohol duty have the potential for public health benefits, but should include an automatic uprating mechanism to ensure these benefits are not lost through future cuts to duty.
The submission makes the following recommendations:
- increase alcohol duty by 2% above inflation at the budget to raise revenue, save lives, decrease alcohol health harm and ease the pressure alcohol puts on public services
- press ahead with the proposed alcohol duty reforms in the 2023 Finance Bill, with the addition of an automatic uprating mechanism.
Read the full submission here:
