§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will be able to complete his assessment of the impact of the new duty-paid allowances on sales of beer in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir John CopeI have been asked to reply.
We are monitoring the impact of cross-border shopping in the single market, but seasonal variations in beer sales and the novelty of cross-border shopping make it unsafe to draw firm conclusions for the moment. Customs are meeting the Brewers Society to discuss the society's statistics on duty-paid beer imports. We shall continue to keep a close watch on the position through surveys and other relevant information sources.