Following his delivery to Number 10 Downing Street of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) petition against EU plans to levy tax on small-scale cider producers, and his subsequent tabling of an Early Day Motion (EDM) on the subject, David Warburton, MP for Somerton and Frome in Somerset, today expressed delight that the Government has agreed to reject the proposed tax.
Delivered to Downing Street by David Warburton MP with more than 26,000 signatures, CAMRA’s petition called on the Government to support cider makers by rejecting an EU demand that excise duty is imposed on very small cider producers. Currently, small cider producers making less than 70 HL (hectolitres) of cider per year, or 33 pints a day, are exempt from paying excise duty.
Last week, David tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the Commons to ask the Government to reject the EU’s excise duty request. David’s EDM has achieved cross-party support from a variety of distinguished MPs, including Labour leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn MP, Conservative mayoral hopeful Zac Goldsmith MP, the Green’s Caroline Lucas MP, Dennis Skinner MP, the SNP’s George Kerevan MP, Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville –Roberts MP, the Democratic Unionist Party’s Jim Shannon MP, Lib Dem Greg Mulholland MP and many others.
As part of the Budget this week, Damian Hinds MP, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury said: “Given the strength of feeling amongst both cider producers and consumers… the government will make no changes to the current small cider makers’ duty exemption until and unless a replacement scheme is established.”
David explained, “I’m overjoyed that our campaign for the Government to reject the proposed EU tax on small-scale cider producers has been such an unqualified success.
“Having delivered CAMRA’s petition to Downing Street last month, I was determined to keep up the momentum on this issue; small-scale cider production is a key part of our rural tradition and our local economy here in Somerset and we cannot allow small-scale producers to go out of business due to onerous EU tax demands.
“By tabling an Early Day Motion and securing cross-party support, I kept up the pressure and made sure that the interests of small-scale cider producers remained firmly on the government’s agenda, and I’m delighted that these efforts have been so justly rewarded in this week’s Budget.”
Andrea Briers, chair of CAMRA’s Committee for cider and perry, added, “This is excellent news for real cider drinkers and small producers alike. CAMRA is delighted with the Government’s commitment and will now be working hard to ensure that they can keep the promise with a legal exemption in the EU Directive.”
According to Parliamentary rules, EDMs must conform to a strict format and must be submitted as one sentence of no more than 250 words. David Warburton MP submitted the following EDM to the House of Commons:
That this House recognises and values the social and economic contribution of small-scale cider producers, which comprise some 80 per cent of Britain's individual cider makers, believing that they are integral to a great British tradition, supporting a lively pub culture and tourism sector; is concerned that small cider producers are threatened by the European Commission's demand to remove their historic exemption from excise duty, thereby exposing them to a punitive and potentially damaging tax; considers that this action could drive many producers out of business and undermine one of the nation's most historic industries; and therefore urges the Government to reject the European Commission's request and maintain the current position.