I believe that well run pubs and the brewing industry have an important role for the national economy and that good local pub, where alcohol is enjoyed responsibly, is an asset to a community.
For these reasons, I and my colleagues in the SNP group will do what we can at Westminster to support community pubs and breweries, and support a reduction in beer duty. The SNP have called for a wider overhaul of the alcohol duty regime, towards basing it on the alcohol content of drinks.The Scottish Government has announced research into pub tenancies - more info here: http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Minister-announces-study-on-pub-tenancies-190d.aspx. I hope that this will result in some firm recommendations for how we can support small, independent pubs in Scotland.
