Clause 4
Finance (No. 2) Bill
5:15 pm
Paul Goodman (Shadow Minister (Childcare), Treasury; Wycombe, Conservative)
Again, we have no quarrel about what is proposed in this clause, although we note the wine trade’s concerns, to which the Financial Secretary referred.
I have a question that arises from the point made by the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne about beer, champagne and the World cup. I am sure that the Financial Secretary will be able to give us a better insight into the Chancellor’s thinking than I can; if he cannot, perhaps the Economic Secretary could. I assumed that the Chancellor’s thinking was that there would be good reason for people to drink more champagne than beer because of what would happen in the World cup. That drew my attention to a curious point that arises because the Chancellor said,
“in anticipation of World cup success this summer, I am freezing duty on champagne, and on British sparkling wine.”—[Official Report, 22 March 2006; Vol. 444, c. 297.]
He did mean World cup success for the England team, did he not?