Sales Of Scotch Whisky And The Chancellor Of The Exchequer

EDM number 1238 in 1994-95, proposed by Margaret Ewing on 13/06/1995.

That this House notes that sales of Scotch whisky have slumped by 26 per cent. since January when the Chancellor of the Exchequer imposed the addition of 26 pence to the price of a bottle of whisky; further notes that between 1st January and the end of March only 14 million bottles of whisky left bonded warehouses in Scotland, compared with 19 million in the same period last year; draws attention to the fact that such a drop will cost the Treasury ú100 million in lost revenue; also notes reports of the Scotch Whisky Association's description of the Treasury as 'hopelessly inept'; believes the Government's policies regarding the Scotch whisky industry are anti-Scottish, since they have caused the loss of 300 jobs this year and a total of 12,000 since 1979; and calls on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to withdraw this extra duty immediately.

This motion has been signed by a total of 6 MPs.