§ 5. Mr. Colin ShepherdTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he anticipates will be the yield from taxation on cider in the year 1987–88.
§ The Paymaster General (Mr. Peter Brooke)About £55 million excluding VAT.
§ Mr. ShepherdI am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that reply. Is he aware that since the tax heights of 1984 to 1985 tax revenue has failed to come up to expectation? Since then more than 500 jobs in the cider industry have been lost in Hereford alone and sales are stagnant across the industry despite massively increased promotional efforts. Will my right hon. Friend bear that point in mind in formulating his Budget proposals?
§ Mr. BrookeI cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget, but he is fully aware of the views and the circumstances of the cider makers and will take them into account when he makes his Budget decisions.