The All Party Parliamentary Beer Group (APPBG)  report into the future of cask beer was launched on 2 June 2021,  calling on the Government to deliver urgent support to save pubs and breweries.

The press release highlights the devastating impact of the Covid  pandemic on  pubs and the wider hospitality sector – and correspondingly on the sales of cask and draught beer.  The report's recommendations include:   

• Government to reduce the overall burden on brewers and pubs through lower overall duty, VAT and business rates and to urgently consider the specific merits of a lower rate of duty for on-sales of draught beers to encourage footfall back into pubs
• Government must stick to the roadmap for reopening and run a public information campaign to restore consumer confidence that pubs are safe
• Government to consider targeted COVID debt-forgiveness and measures to ameliorate the impact of crown debt
• Industry to convene a working group to capitalise on the possibilities for cask beers as an environmentally friendly, locally focussed, premium and uniquely British product
• Government to incentivise and/or support investment in the UK’s hop sector, to tide it over a period of unprecedented uncertainty.

The attached  video clip is of Mike Wood MP, the Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group with Kelly McCarthy, the licensee of Ye Old Sun Inn near Tadcaster who gave evidence to the Inquiry.

A virtual hearing was held on 15 April 2021, chaired by APPBG chair Mike Wood MP.

The following witnesses gave evidence:

• Emma Gilleland, Director of Brewing at Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company
• Ed Mason, Managing Director at Five Points Brewing Company
• Jonathan Neame, Chief Executive of Shepherd Neame
• Phil Tate, Group Chief Executive, CGA
• Peter Brown, Beer writer
• Ellie Hudspith, Senior Campaigns Manager CAMRA
• Dr Pau Salsas, Managing Consultant, Europe Economics
• Kelly McCarthly, Ye Old Sun Inn, Colton & BII

The evidence session can be viewed here