The Food and Drink Federation responds to the Chancellor’s Budget announcement

“Food and drink manufacturers – and the farm to fork supply chain – will applaud the moves made by the Chancellor in the direction of a higher skilled, more productive UK economy. As the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, with a footprint in every constituency, food and drink is ideally placed to contribute. For many of our manufacturers and producers there was welcome news – the 50% cut in business rates for hospitality, the simplification of alcohol duty and the additional support for R&D. On the latter we will campaign hard to ensure it is fairly shared out so that it creates step change in how smaller food and drink businesses innovate.

“We support the Government’s Plan for Growth – but its success should be judged on whether it delivers the skilled people that we so desperately need. Today’s Budget does little to address the labour shortages which grip the nation. It was also worryingly short on action to tackle rising inflation. Given the pressures they are facing, many manufacturers will simply have no choice but continue to pass costs down the chain.”