Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, has welcomed announcements in the Budget to support pubs in his constituency.
The announcement follow years of campaigning by Gavin to obtain more support for the industry, which has struggled in recent years.
Gavin was recently presented with the ‘Beer Champion’ award, in recognition of his efforts on behalf of the national drink, during 2013, and for his support in scrapping the Beer Duty Escalator, which lead to the momentous cut in Beer Duty.
The award was a joint initiative from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).
- Tax on beer to be cut by a penny a pint, helping local pubs.
- Duties on Scotch whisky and other spirits will be frozen, supporting the Scottish whisky industry.
- Duty on ordinary ciders to be frozen, helping West Country cider makers hit by the recent weather.
- The duty escalator for wine has been abolished.
Gavin said: “This budget is great news for the 4,700 pubs and the 50,400 people who work in them in the West Midlands. This is the second year that a penny has been taken off a pint, with duties on Scottish whisky and most ciders frozen too.
“In South Staffordshire alone, these measures will help 85 pubs and three breweries. The industry is responsible for supplying a total of 2274 jobs and 1129 direct jobs in our local area, providing £30m in wages and a £63.9m contribution towards our GDP.
“Pubs form the heart of many of our local communities and play an incredibly important role within the social life of numerous village residents. Many of Britain’s independent pubs, today, are struggling and we need to do all that we can to support this important national industry and ensure its survival in the generations to come.”