When the Chancellor delivered his Autumn Budget in October there was some fantastic news for pub goers and especially for craft beer and real ale fans.
The way alcohol is taxed is being changed with a lower rate of duty charged on draught beer and cider served in pubs and social clubs. This established an important principle in the taxation system for the first time: that pubs are a force for good in our communities and should be better supported to help them survive, thrive and compete with the supermarkets.
One element of these changes is that, from next year, there will be a 5% cut in duty on beer sold in pubs from kegs and casks over 40 litres in size. However, many independent brewers also use smaller containers of 20 and 30 litres and, consequently, they will be unable to benefit from this cut.
Commenting on these changes, Aberconwy MP Robin Millar said:
“I welcomed the changes to alcohol duty that were announced in the Budget last October but I realised there was more campaigning to be done on behalf of our local breweries here in Aberconwy. We are home to some of the finest independent breweries in the UK including Wild Horse Brewing Co, Conwy Brewery and Great Orme Brewery and they supply many of their beers in 20 litre and 30 litre kegs and casks.
Continuing, Robin said:
“Immediately following the announcement of the Budget I met with Dave Faragher, the Founder and Managing Director of Wild Horse Brewing in Llandudno. He explained to me the importance of this issue for them as most of Wild Horse Brewing’s beers are supplied in 30-litre kegs.
“I am determined to do all that I can to support businesses here in Aberconwy. I agreed with Dave that 20 and 30 litre kegs and casks should be included in this duty reduction. I have already raised this issue in person with the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak MP and I’ll continue to work with the Chancellor, Treasury ministers and officials and my colleagues in the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group to support craft breweries and to secure this cut.”
Concluding, Robin said:
“Pubs make an invaluable contribution to our communities and to our local economy here in Aberconwy. We are blessed to have so many outstanding pubs that showcase local produce, beers and other beverages to the many thousands of visitors that we welcome each year. Securing this cut will help many of our pubs, especially those that are renowned for their real ale offering such as the Albion, the Tap Room and the Pont-y-Pair Inn in Betws-y-Coed.
“I am delighted to support SIBA’s (Society of Independent Brewers) #MakeIt20 cross-party campaign and it was a pleasure to attend their informative campaigning event in Parliament yesterday. I am confident that this is a campaign that can be won.”
AS yn cefnogi bragwyr bychain Aberconwy drwy ofyn am ‘Ei wneud yn 20’
Pan draddododd y Canghellor ei Gyllideb Hydref ym mis Hydref, roedd rhywfaint o newyddion ffantastig i fynychwyr tafarndai, ac yn arbennig i gefnogwyr cwrw crefft a chwrw iawn.
Mae’r ffordd y mae alcohol yn cael ei drethu yn cael ei newid, gyda llai o dreth yn cael ei chodi ar gwrw a seidr casgen sy’n cael eu gweini mewn tafarndai a chlybiau cymdeithasol. Roedd hyn yn sefydlu egwyddor bwysig yn y system dreth am y tro cyntaf: bod tafarndai yn rym er daioni yn ein cymunedau a dylen nhw dderbyn cefnogaeth well er mwyn eu helpu nhw i oroesi, ffynnu a chystadlu gyda’r archfarchnadoedd.
O’r flwyddyn nesaf, un elfen o’r newidiadau hyn yw y bydd toriad o 5% mewn treth ar gwrw sy’n cael ei werthu mewn tafarndai o gasgenni bach a chasgenni sydd dros 40 litr o faint. Fodd bynnag, mae llawer o fragwyr annibynnol hefyd yn defnyddio cynwysyddion 20 a 30 litr, ac o ganlyniad, bydden nhw’n methu â chael budd o’r toriad hwn.
Drwy dynnu sylw at y newidiadau hyn, dywedodd Robin Millar, AS Aberconwy:
“Roeddwn yn croesawu’r newidiadau hyn i’r dreth alcohol a gyhoeddwyd yn y Gyllideb yr Hydref diwethaf, ond sylweddolais fod angen gwneud mwy o ymgyrchu ar ran ein bragdai lleol yma yn Aberconwy. Rydym yn gartref i rai o’r bragdai annibynnol gorau yn y DU, gan gynnwys y Wild Horse Brewing Co. Conwy Brewery a’r Great Orme Brewery ac maen nhw’n cyflenwi llawer o’u cwrw mewn casgenni bach a chasgenni 20 litr a 30 litr.
Aeth Robin ymlaen i ddweud:
“Yn syth ar ôl cyhoeddiad y Gyllideb, cyfarfyddais â Dave Faragher, Sylfaenydd a Rheolwr Gyfarwyddwr bragdy’r Wild Horse Brewing yn Llandudno. Eglurodd i mi bwysigrwydd y mater hwn iddyn nhw gan fod y rhan fwyaf o gwrw Wild Horse Brewing yn cael ei gyflenwi mewn casgenni bach 30 litr.
“Rydw i’n benderfynol o wneud popeth a allaf i gefnogi busnesau yma yn Aberconwy. Cytunais â Dave y dylid cynnwys casgenni bach a chasgenni 20 a 30 litr yn y gostyngiad treth hwn. Eisoes, rydw i wedi codi’r mater hwn yn bersonol gyda’r Canghellor, Rishi Sunak AS, a byddaf yn parhau i weithio gyda’r Canghellor, gweinidogion a swyddogion y Trysorlys, ynghyd â’m cydweithwyr yn y Grŵp Cwrw Seneddol Hollbleidiol er mwyn cefnogi bragdai crefft a sicrhau’r toriad hwn.”
I gloi dywedodd Robin:
“Mae tafarndai yn gwneud cyfraniad amhrisiadwy i’n cymunedau ac i’n heconomi leol yma yn Aberconwy. Rydym wedi cael ein bendithio gyda chymaint o dafarndai arbennig sy’n dangos cynnyrch, cwrw a diodydd lleol eraill i’r miloedd lawer o ymwelwyr yr ydym yn eu croesawu bob blwyddyn. Bydd sicrhau’r toriad hwn yn helpu llawer o’n tafarndai, yn arbennig felly'r rhai sy’n enwog am werthu cwrw iawn, fel yr Albion, y Tap Room a Thafarn Pont-y-Pair ym Metws-y-Coed.
“Rydw i wrth fy modd i fod yn cefnogi ymgyrch trawsbleidiol #MakeIt20 SIBA (Cymdeithas Bragwyr Annibynnol) ac roedd yn bleser gennyf fynychu eu digwyddiad ymgyrchu llawn gwybodaeth yn y Senedd ddoe. Rydw i’n hyderus fod hon yn ymgyrch y gallwn ni ei hennill.”