Licensees urged to get their local MPs to attend the beer tax debate

24-Oct-2012 - Last updated on 25-Oct-2012 at 15:54 GMT

Licensees are being urged to get their local MPs to attend a debate over the beer duty escalator in Parliament next Thursday.

Click here to contact your local member of parliament.

MPs will consider the future of the beer duty escalator in a three hour debate after the Backbench Business Committee heard representations from All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group chairman MP Andrew Griffiths and All-Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group chairman MP Greg Mulholland earlier this week. The representations were put forward after the e-petition asking for the end of the beer duty escalator hit 100,000 signatures.

The motion to be debated will ask for a thorough Treasury review of the economic and social impact of the beer duty escalator to report back before the 2013 budget.

The industry has joined forces and is asking MPs to attend and vote for a Government review on the impact of the escalator.

This week the British Beer and Pub Association is contacting all MPs by letter urging them to attend the debate. The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has emailed its 800 members, which include not just brewers but over 100 SIBA Locals pubs, asking them to encouraging their local MP to support the debate. The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers has issued a similar rallying call.

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has set up a website which allows all its 140,000 members and licensees to email their MP directly.

The Publican's Morning Advertiser is backing the call for MPs to attend the debate and is calling on licensees to contact their local MPs.

Click here to contact your local member of parliament via CAMRA's templated email. It's easy and it's important!