Responding to the Chancellor’s Budget, Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, commented:

“Pub goers across the UK will be toasting the Chancellor tonight for freezing beer duty. This freeze alone will save pub goers £80 million and secure 2,000 vital jobs across the country.

“82% of the beer we drink here is brewed in the UK, so this is a very welcome decision that will help pubs and brewers across the UK. Cheers to the Chancellor!

“At the beginning of the year we welcomed the Government’s decision to cut business rates for the UK’s smallest pubs by £1,000. It is great to see the Chancellor listen to our calls to take this one step further by increasing the relief to £5,000 for pubs with a rateable value up to £100,000.

“The announcement that pubs with a Rateable Value of £51,000 or less will not pay their rates over the next financial year is an enormous boost. For pubs who already pay little or no business rates, a £3,000 small business relief grant is available, which 14,000 pubs could benefit from.

“In total the additional business rates support announced for pubs is worth over £190 million.

“Pubs pay 2.8% of rates despite accounting for only 0.5% of rateable turnover across the country. Such reliefs are vital until the fundamentally unfair system is overhauled. We therefore welcome the call for evidence on business rates reform announced today, commencing in the spring.

“Following the extensive review into Small Brewer’s Relief, we welcome confirmation that the Government will publish its results in the spring. We hope the Government’s response will recognise the long-standing distortions caused by the current structure, whilst supporting growth among brewers of all sizes.

“Overall, this has been a great Budget for pubs, pub goers and Britain’s world-class brewing industry worth £270 million. We hope the Government continues to support our industry in the future, recognising the vital role it plays in our communities and lives across the UK.”