SNP want to benefit from Scotland’s booze culture, not tackle it

The Scottish Government has published a document that outlines plans to devolve excise duty.

Commenting on the paper, member of the Scotland Bill Committee David McLetchie MSP said:

"The SNP has finally acknowledged that you cannot devolve the right to set alcohol duty rates in Scotland without having to set up customs posts at the border.

"Instead the SNP now wants the Treasury to allocate to Scotland our share of the alcohol duty raised here – a kind of drinks supplement to the Barnett Formula. Perversely, this means that the more alcohol that is consumed in Scotland, the more money it will bring in. Far from tackling the booze culture, the SNP wants to benefit from it.

The Publication can be found here:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/10/excise-duty

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