asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total revenue to the Exchequer in taxation on cigarettes and alcoholic drink, respectively, in the latest annual period for which figures are available; and what were the comparable totals in each of the previous five years.
The estimated revenue from excise duty and VAT on cigarettes in 1978–79 was about £2,450 million; comparable figures for earlier years are not available.For tobacco as a whole and for alcoholic drink it is estimated that receipts from excise duty and VAT in the last six financial years were, approximately:
| (£million) | ||||
| Tobacco | Alcoholic drink | |||
| 1978–79 | … | 2,750 | … | 2,900 |
| 1977–78 | … | 2,350 | … | 2,575 |
| 1976–77 | … | 2,125 | … | 2,400 |
| 1975–76 | … | 1,900 | … | 1,925 |
| 1974–75 | … | 1,525 | … | 1,450 |
| 1973–74 | … | 1,275 | … | 1,275 |
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total amount of beer and spirits, respectively, sold in the most recent annual period for which figures are available; and what were the comparable figures in each of the previous five years.
Statistics of the sales of beer and spirits are not available. The information which follows relates to quantities on which duty has been paid for the years ending July (for beer) and August (for spirits).
| BEER | ||||
| ('000 bulk barrels)* | ||||
| 1979 | … | … | … | 41,604 |
| 1978 | … | … | … | 41,055 |
| 1977 | … | … | … | 40,817 |
| 1976 | … | … | … | 40,358 |
| 1975 | … | … | … | 39,219 |
| 1974 | … | … | … | 39,201 |
| SPIRITS | ||||
| ('000 proof gallons) | ||||
| 1979 | … | … | … | 40,787 |
| 1978 | … | … | … | 36,063 |
| 1977 | … | … | … | 33,406 |
| 1976 | … | … | … | 31,173 |
| 1975 | … | … | … | 33,156 |
| 1974 | … | … | … | 31,091 |
| * From January 1976 the figures take account of liquor added after fermentation. | ||||
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total number of cigarettes sold in the most recent annual period for which figures are available; and what were the comparable totals in each of the previous five years.
Information about sales of cigarettes is not available. The net quantity of cigarettes on which duty has been paid in the year ending October 1979 was 125,812 million. Comparable figures for the years ending October 1978 and October 1977 were 125,996 million and 126,133 million respectively. Such information is not available before the introduction of tobacco products duty in 1976.