asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what percentage his proposals for the increases in duties on alcoholic drinks will raise those duties since the date when the previous rates were fixed; and what the increase would be if the changes corresponded to the depreciation in purchasing power of the £ sterling since the same date.
[pursuant to his reply, 14 April 1980]. The information is as follows:
| PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN DUTY | ||
| Budget proposal | To maintain real value since last increase* | |
| Beer | 22·5 | 44 |
| Spirits | 13·7 | 44 |
| Wine | 13·9 | 44 |
| * Increase in the retail prices index by February 1980. | ||
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what percentage the duties on alcoholic drinks would have to be raised beyond the increases proposed in his Budget, in order to yield the cost of an increase in child benefit to £5 per week in a full year instead of £4·75 as proposed; and what would be the approximate further rises in the prices of a pint of beer, a bottle of whisky and a bottle of wine.
[pursuant to his reply, 14 April 1980]: The duties on alcoholic drinks would have to be raised by a further 8½ per cent. With VAT this would increase prices by about 1p on a pint of beer of average strength, 35p on a bottle of spirits, and 6p on a bottle of table wine.