Brewery Closures

EDM number 1619 in 1997-98, proposed by Nigel Jones on 28/07/1998.

That this House regrets the announcement by Whitbread of the company's intention to close the Cheltenham Flowers and Castle Eden breweries; notes that these plans will add to a long list of closures which includes Higsons, Fremlins, Chesters, Wethereds, Portsmouth and United, Bentleys, Threlfalls, Campbell Hope and King, Young, Rhymney, Dales, Green, Lacons, Strongs, West Country Breweries, Tennant, Birkenhead, Brickwoods, Duttons, Flowers and Sons, Thompson, Tucker, Evan Evans Bevan, Starkey Knight and Ford, Whitaker, Leney, Tomson and Wotton, Cobb and Co., Ameys, Fielder, Clarksons, Worksop and Retford, Southams, Salford, Alton Court, Norman and Pring, Soulby Sons and Winch, Mowbray and Co, and Sheffield Exchange; believes the loss of these breweries destroys an important part of Britains's heritage; notes the differential in beer duty between the United Kingdom and continental Europe which exacerbates the competitive difficulties of local brewers by encouraging smuggling of beer from across the Channel; calls on the Government to act urgently and open negotiations with the United Kingdom's partners in the European Union with a view to harmonising duty levels; and urges Whitbread to think again before ending centuries of quality brewing in Cheltenham and Castle Eden.

This motion has been signed by a total of 22 MPs.