To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their forecast of the cost to HM Treasury of freezing beer duty in the forthcoming Budget. [HL1980]

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their forecast of the cost to HM Treasury of discontinuing the beer duty escalator. [HL1981]

Table 6 of the tax ready reckoner gives the impact upon Exchequer revenues of a 1 per cent increase in beer and cider duties in 2010-11 as £30 million. This figure can be adapted to give an approximate indication of the cost of different duty policy options.