Lt.-Col. Colin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effects of the existing system of proof gallon/wine gallon assessment of duty on spirits in the United States of America on the employment of labour in the Scotch whisky industry.
§ Sir G. HoweThe present system of assessment of duty on spirits in the United 157W States of America results in a higher incidence of duty on whisky imported in bottle than on imports in bulk. Any estimate of the extent to which the elimination of this difference incidence might increase the proportion of Scotch whisky exported in bottle could only be speculative, but in so far as exports in bottle increased, this would tend to improve employment prospects in bottle and label making and in bottling.
I remain concerned at the discrimination against imports of spirits in bottle and will continue to seek the removal of this anomaly.