May I welcome you, Mr. Gale, to the Chair, or more strictly welcome you back as the Chair of the Finance Bill after an absence of some four years? I look forward, as my colleagues do, to serving under your chairmanship during our proceedings.

Clause 5 increases the rates of excise duty charged on beer, wine, made-wine and cider in line with inflation. Excise duties on alcohol provide an important£8 billion annually to invest in essential public services. This inflation-only increase in duty, which, together with VAT, is equivalent to around 1p on a pint of beer and on a litre of cider, 5p on a bottle of wine and sparkling cider, and 7p on a bottle of sparkling wine, is necessary to maintain this important source of revenue to the public purse.