Alcohol duty

Osborne has reduced alcohol duties in this budget to the tune of £920 million over the next Parliament, on top of the much bigger loss of revenue from the earlier cancellation of the alcohol duty 'escalator' see bit.ly/19UxnOf. Not only do these concessions have to be paid for by equivalent cuts in public services, but they also increase the burdens on the health service and criminal justice system. It is the height of fiscal irresponsibility to encourage the consumption of alcohol when it already costs society £19 billion a year.