Sugar tax to put 24p on litre of fizzy drink

BRITAIN has moved closer to introducing a sugar tax on sweetened soft drinks.

Draft legislation published yesterday paves the way for a two-band levy – due to come into force in April 2018 – which is aimed at halting the obesity crisis.

The final tax is expected to have two thresholds – at least 18p a litre on drinks with more than 5g of sugar per 100ml (about three teaspoons per 8oz glass) and 24p a litre on those with more than 8g per 100ml (about five teaspoons per 8oz glass). Experts estimate the tax will raise £520million a year but health campaigners said the plan does not go far enough.

Under the proposals, CocaCola and Pepsi, Lucozade Energy and Irn-Bru would fall under the higher rate and Dr Pepper, Fanta, Sprite, Schweppes Indian tonic water the lower one.

Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said: “We’ll be disappointed if the Treasury doesn’t slap a 50 per cent levy on the top band and 30 per cent on the lower band.

“This is the kind of measure Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, promised to tackle childhood obesity.

“The epidemic is at crisis levels and we’re past the point of considering more politically correct proposals of 10 to 20 per cent.”

Last month NHS England announced it could ban fizzy

Incentive

drinks from hospitals after research showed more than half the service’s 1.3million staff were overweight or obese. It is also considering outlawing calorie-laden drinks and sugar-sweetened fruit juice.

Alison Cox, of Cancer Research UK, said: “The tax provides an incentive for companies to create healthier choices.”

The Obesity Health Alliance said: “Sugary soft drinks are currently the largest source of sugar for children.”