SUPER-STRENGTH WHITE CIDER

Early day motion 2265, tabled 18 October 2011 by Caroline Lucas (Green). Signed by 16 members.

That this House notes the announcement in the 2011 Budget that new duty rates would apply to low strength and high strength beers and that these new rates took effect from 1 October 2011; queries why the Government did not take the same action to tackle super-strength white ciders; furthernotes that professionals working with homeless and dependent street drinkers, as well as young at-risk drinkers, have expressed concern for many years that white cider is often sold cheaper than bottled water and has a particularly damaging effect on the health and behaviour of the people they work with; is concerned that the high-strength white cider industry is benefiting from the tax breaks and low duty intended to boost the development of traditional cider apple orchards; and therefore, as a first step, calls on the Government to apply the same tax regime to differentiate between low strength and super-strength ciders as it has recently done for beer.

Signatures by party: Labour 6, Liberal Democrat 3, Conservative 2, Plaid Cymru 2, Green 1, Independent 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.