§ Dr. MarekTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy relating to European Community legislation with regard to duty on(a) vin doux naturel and (b) vin de liqueur compared with still table wine.
§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard[holding answer 20 February 1992]: The UK excise duty bands of wines and made-wines are based solely on alcoholic content. These constitute neutral and objective demarcations between alcoholic drinks of different strengths. I see no reason to make any fiscal distinction between fermented and distilled alcohol and will seek to retain our existing arrangements in future EC negotiations.