Local MP, Maria Miller spoke in the debate in Parliament on the proposed changes to the Small Breweries Relief (SBR) that are being brought forward by the Government IN 2022.
Maria has been working closely on this issue with local independent brewery, Andwells, liaising with SIBA (the Society of Independent Brewers, the representative body for small craft breweries) taking their concerns directly to the Government Ministers in HM Treasury.
Maria said, “The uncertain business environment that our small breweries face and the fact that
The consultation that led to the Government recommending this change in rate relief was carried out at a very different time to the now uncertain business environment that our small breweries face.
This is time to pause so that breweries such as Andwell Brewery in my constituency can get the certainty that they need as we move forward.
The evidence that the Government need includes a baseline of production so that they know how many breweries are producing however much beer over a period of time and can then calculate the appropriate rate of tax relief so that it is cost-neutral. How will the Minister do that when over the past six months there has been such a distortion in the market with regard to production rates?
Many of the breweries that would previously have been well above the 5,000 hectolitre barrier will probably now be well within it.”