Tax on alcohol should rise by ten per cent: charity - Telegraph

Secondary legislation has already been introduced to increase the tax on cheap, strong ciders. This legislation will change the definition of cider by introducing a minimum juice content to qualify to pay duty at the cider rates. Products with low juice content are now taxed at the more appropriate made-wine rate.

via telegraph.co.uk

The government seem to have got the idea that introducing a minimum juice content will reduce the amount of cheap alcohol on sale, but medical charities are pointing out that the current tax bands are not sufficiently related to alcohol content at all and there remains some serious anomolies. A minimum juice content for cider is a good idea but at 35% this is laughable. It should be more like 85% which is the figure for real cider and anything less shouldn't really be called cider at all