Budget set for 24 March
The Budget will take place on Wednesday 24 March, the Government has confirmed today.
Darling: will he listen to the trade?
All eyes will now be on Chancellor Alistair Darling to see if he has taken note of the pleas for a freeze on beer duty.
Duty is set to rise 2% above inflation if Darling sticks to his duty escalator plan announced two years ago.
But with the pub sector hit by a mammoth 20% rise in duty since March 2008 and closures hitting 52 a week earlier this year, the industry will hope Darling will relent on the escalator.
The British Beer and Pub Association has already told the Treasury a freeze on beer duty could save 7,500 jobs over the next 12 months.
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