THE MP for Arfon has called for duty on draught beer to be cut to boost pubs across Gwynedd.

Over 500,000 people have so far signed a petition supporting the Long Live the Local campaign, calling on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to cut draught beer tax in his upcoming Budget, including 610 from Arfon.

Hywel Williams said small brewers and pubs across Wales need an immediate boost, as figures reveal UK beer sales in pubs fell by 56 per cent in 2020. This amounts to a loss of £7.8bn in sales.

The Covid pandemic has had a devastating impact on the sector which supports many hundreds of jobs in Gwynedd.

Mr Williams, in joint statement with Liz Saville Roberts, MP for Dwyfor Meirionydd, said: "We’ve consistently lobbied the Chancellor to cut beer duty on draught sales as we believe that this would help pubs facing huge competition from cheap retail outlets, and as a further indirect result, would enable the further growth of local micro-breweries.

"Pubs are at the heart of many communities across Gwynedd, but with hospitality bearing a disproportionate burden because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government should be doing much more to support this struggling sector, including cutting draught beer duty.

"UK beer duty remains too high. It is much higher in the UK than in any other major beer-producing country in Europe, with £1 in every £3 spent in our pubs going straight to the taxman.

"As MPs representing emerging and well-established micro-breweries producing distinctive local brands, as well as many traditional Welsh pubs, we have long-called on the Chancellor to do much more to support landlords and pub owners by alleviating some of the tax burdens placed on them.

"With so much uncertainty surrounding the reopening of the economy, the government should be incentivising hard-pressed sectors to help lead our economic recovery."

Programme Director at Long Live the Local, David Cunningham said: "Beer duty has increased by 60 per cent over the last 17 years and now the UK has one of the highest rates of tax in Europe.

"When over two thirds of all alcoholic drinks purchased in the pub are beers, a cut in beer tax would go a long way to protecting pubs across Gwynedd that have suffered so much in the last year.

"We are very grateful to Liz and Hywel for their support for the Long Live the Local campaign, and hope that the Government listens to MPs across Parliament and the thousands of people across the country, who are calling for a cut in beer tax to protect our pubs."