Daily Star

AND SAVE PUBS Beer fans make tax plea to MPs 0% BOOZE TAPPED UP

- News@dailystar.co.uk

we look forward to talking to more MPs about our economic research.

“Recent beer duty freezes and business rates reliefs, while welcome, are merely sticking plasters.

“Far too many pubs are still fighting for their survival.

“A cut in duty for draught beer is possible now we have left the EU.

“The Government should take full advantage of this opportunit­y to show its commitment to this great British institutio­n.”

Research has shown that 6,000 pubs have called last orders permanentl­y in Britain since 2010.

Actor-turned-Tory MP Giles Watling said: “Pubs are important community assets and we need to do all we can to protect them.

“Unfortunat­ely, previous freezes in beer duty, while welcome, have also allowed the supermarke­t to continue undercutti­ng the pub with cheap alcohol. That was because of single market rules, which equalised rates between pubs and supermarke­ts.

“Now we have left the EU, I want to change that and differenti­ate the rate of duty so that it finally benefits and supports our pubs.”

Last year, Camra, which

Ddwas founded in Ireland in 1971 and now boasts more than 192,000 members, claimed pubs were closing at a rate of one every 12 hours. Its backers include the Duke of Edinburgh, who sent a letter of support, and Prince Charles, who has been p pictured with a pint of r real ale in his hand. The group’s experts reckon reck pubs contribute £23.1billion £23.1b to the UK economy each year, with 900,000 jobs depending on the pub and brewing industry.

wPUBS will be legally forced to sell alcohol-free beer on draught. A health report in Bristol recommende­d that all bars should have at least one zero alcohol option on draught to “reduce consumptio­n”.

Now the city is set to be the first in Britain to enforce the move.

But Laura Willoughby, co-founder of Club Soda, which encourages careful drinking, claimed any effort to force pubs to stock alcohol-free options could misfire.

She said: “Forcing a venue to do this before they have enough volume of sales will lead to wastage.”

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FEARSOME: Staff member in T-Rex jaws
WINGED TERROR: Worker with pteranodon
★ ★ FEARSOME: Staff member in T-Rex jaws WINGED TERROR: Worker with pteranodon
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PINT: No booze beer
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