Target in sight for beer duty escalator petition - but what happens next?

15-Aug-2012 - Last updated on 16-Aug-2012 at 08:41 GMT

Berry: "Achieving the 100,000 signature targets is not the end of the battle"

We are hardly storming towards the tape in the manner of a Mo Farah sprint finish, but the line is in sight. Helped in no small part by the wonderful efforts of the volunteers at the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA’s) Great British Beer Festival last week, the e-petition to scrap the beer-duty escalator is closing in on the all-important target of 100,000 signatures.

But what exactly does 100,000 signatures get us?

Well, firstly, when the petition tops that figure, the Government will provide an update on its “current position”. In my experience, this usually means a few lines of platitudes, telling us mostly what we already know, and promising to look further at the issue.

The backbench business committee, which is responsible for the scheduling of debates on e-petitions, will then be informed that the petition has reached the required number signatures. The committee meets weekly to consider subjects for debate, including those raised in e-petitions, but an MP must make the case for their consideration.

There is limited parliamentary time to schedule for debates and, somewhat worryingly, the committee warns that it’s not possible to allocate debates on all the subjects suggested.

So this is where our pro-pub MPs and heavy-hitters in the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group need to spring into action and ensure the petition gets enough time for meaningful debate. They need to show the issue has cross-party support (it does), and is relevant and topical (it absolutely is). A full day’s debate represents six hours, but the amount of time available varies each month, so the danger is the debate gets cut short or rushed. This would be disastrous.

At this stage there’s another hurdle to overcome. The committee may regard the e-petition to have already received a response by an alternative route — for example, in the form of a ministerial statement. Warning signs flash once again; last month Treasury minister Chloe Smith attended an adjournment debate that attracted almost 40 MPs. We have to make the case that this short late-night debate was insufficient to fully tackle the issue.

Once the debate has been secured and scheduled, a minister from the relevant department (HM Treasury) must attend to respond on behalf of the Government.

People might also expect there to be a vote and for that to change the law or, in this case, scrap the escalator. A vote is unlikely and there are no guarantees. A debate does not signal a change in policy and pressure must continue to be applied once it’s concluded. But a Commons chamber packed full of MPs of all political colours will send a strong message to the Government about the depth of feeling.

When we finally cross the line and achieve 100,000 signatures, no matter how much of a struggle it has been to get there, it should be celebrated. But let’s be realistic that it’s not the end of the battle. It will still take an Olympian effort to convince the Government that the beer-duty escalator should be scrapped.

And if you haven’t signed the e-petition — what have you been doing? Sign the beer duty petition here.