asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what increase or decrease in the following duties would be required for their yields in real terms to be returned to the level they were in February 1974:(a) duty on beer, (b) duty on spirits, (c) duty on fortified wines, (d) duty on standard table wines and (e) duty on cider.

The present duty yields per unit of consumption are higher in real terms than the yields in February 1974. To return the duties to their real values in February 1974, the following approximate reductions would be needed: