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Finance Bill

I wholeheartedly agree with my right hon. Friend, who makes an important point. The constant increases in duty—and the Government have promised another above-inflation increase in next year's Budget—will discourage people from investing in the industry and in new distilleries. In my constituency, old distilleries have been reopened in recent years—when the present Prime Minister was Chancellor of the Exchequer and froze spirits duty. Under the policy of the present Chancellor, I do not expect to see any more new distilleries opening in the future.