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Finance Bill

The hon. Gentleman invites me to say something about the consequences for society of the changes in where people choose to drink. He also gives me licence to remark that the pubcos themselves could do more to provide the same deals as the supermarkets, because they are sold beer at the same discounts as the supermarkets. The supermarkets pass on those discounts—sometimes reducing the cost even further in the form of loss leaders—but the pubcos are not doing that, and many landlords are forced to sell beer at too high a price. Although there is much work for the Government to do on this, there is some work that the Conservatives would like to see the industry doing, too.