WHISKY STRIP STAMP

Early day motion 272, tabled 11 December 2003 by Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party). Signed by 12 members.

That this House notes with concern the announcement by the Chancellor in the pre-Budget report that a tax stamp may be put on every bottle of whisky sold, which would be a burden to the industry and cost jobs; believes that whilst effective measures must be taken against fraud, this scheme as a device to prevent it is fundamentally flawed; further notes that the Department of Trade and Industry in 1997 wrote to the Norwegian Government when it was considering a similar scheme to warn that it was likely to be inefficient and ineffective as a means of combating fraud and illicit trade; further notes that it would apply to spirits only and not to wine and therefore would discriminate against home-produced drinks and in favour of imported wines; further notes that the US, Greece and Ecuador have abolished strip stamps, whilst Germany, Belgium and Norway have abandoned plans to introduce them; and believes that addressing the problem of the high level of duty on Scotch whisky would be a better policy for the UK Government to pursue.

Signatures by party: Scottish National Party 4, Conservative 3, Labour 2, Plaid Cymru 2, Liberal Democrat 1.