HC Deb 24 March 1999 vol 328 cc259-60W
Mr. Blizzard

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to use revenue gained from the abolition of duty free to reduce excise duty on beer. [77603]

Dawn Primarolo

The Government are continuing to press strongly for an extension of duty free sales to allow time for a better successor regime to be developed. In his Budget on 9 March 1999,Official Report, columns 173–90, the Chancellor announced a freeze on beer duty.

Mr. Blizzard

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the proposal to reduce indicative limits contained in the Customs and Excise review of alcohol and tobacco duties. [77604]

Mrs. Roche

The recommendation that the Government should consider the need to negotiate changes to the rules regulating the system of minimum indicative levels is currently being considered along with a range of other options designed to tackle fraud and smuggling. It would require the unanimous agreement of all 15 member states to change the rules.

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