09/04/2003

Price hike on cigarettes and beer

UK Chancellor Gordon Brown has announced an 8p rise on a pack of 20 cigarettes in today's Budget.

He has also announced duty increases on wine and beer - 4p on a bottle of wine and 1p on a pint of beer. However the duty on spirits and cider remained unchanged.

The levy on cars will rise by £5, but duty on fuel has been frozen for six months.

There were no changes made to the rate of personal taxation.

(SP)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

13 September 2012
UK Breweries At 70 Year High
There are now 1,000 independent breweries in the UK, the highest figure for 70 years, the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) have said. Calling the figure "astonishing", Camra said 158 new breweries had opened in the past year alone, the highest number ever recorded by the lobby group's annual Good Beer Guide.
20 August 2012
15 Months For Mother Who Left Baby Alone While She Partied
A mother who left her baby daughter home alone every day for a week while she went out drinking, has been jailed for 15 months. The 20-year-old woman of Brecon, Powys, admitted neglect of the 15-month old while she went out at Christmas. Neighbours raised the alarm when they heard cries, Merthyr Crown Court heard.
26 October 2004
Red wine helps protect against male lung cancer, says study
Red wine may help protect against the development of lung cancer in men, according to research published in the specialist British Medical Journal (BMJ) Thorax. The research assessed the lifestyles of 132 patients with lung cancer and 187 patients requiring minor surgery at the same hospital in north west Spain between 1999 and 2000.
16 March 2005
Brown's Budget promises for pensioners and homebuyers
Chancellor Gordon Brown has aimed his ninth Budget at pensioners and homebuyers with a series of promises including council tax refunds and an increase in the stamp duty threshold.
13 February 2012
Booze Smuggling Gang Jailed For £50m Fraud
A criminal gang has been jailed for one of the biggest ever alcohol smuggling frauds ever uncovered in the UK. The scam was worth £50m a year in unpaid duty and VAT and allowed the gang members to spend recklessly on high performance cars and luxury properties throughout Europe.