Treasury written question – answered at on 16 May 2012.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what comparative assessment he has made of the merits of increasing the unit price of alcohol by either (a) introducing a minimum unit price or (b) increasing VAT.
Alcohol sales do not fall within any of the excepted categories from the standard rate of VAT under EU law, and therefore must be taxed at the standard rate. There is no scope for a rate that is higher than the standard rate, which in the United Kingdom is 20%. The Government has committed to introducing a minimum unit price for alcohol and will be consulting on the level to be set in the coming months.
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