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Beer: Excise Duties and Packaging

Asked by Mr Richard HoldenConservativeDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 22 July 2025UIN 67989

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of new packaging regulations on the cost of producing draught and bottled beer; and whether those impacts were taken into account when setting beer duty rates.

Answered by Gareth Thomas

The Government has worked closely with industry, including the brewing and hospitality sectors throughout development of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR). In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole.

Decisions on tax policy, including beer duty rates, are made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer at fiscal events. The Treasury welcomes representations from the beer and pub sectors in advance of the Budget.

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