source: Gerry's News Digest
0 Example:
UK citizens are expected to pay a tax on sugary drinks in two years' time.
1 The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the government's plans in the latest government _______________________ .
2 The tax will be imposed on what is UK's biggest single source of excess sugar: _______________________ .
3 The tax will be imposed on the volume of sugary drinks that a company _______________________ .
4 Both milk-based drinks as well as _______________________ will not be taxed.
5 The money collected will be used to _______________________ in schools.
6 The effect the tax has had in some other countries has been positive, at least in the _______________________ .
In two years the UK is going to have a new tax on sugary drinks. I’ve talked before about the latest thinking on the links between sugar consumption and medical problems such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes and so on. In the latest government budget statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that he’s responding to demands from the health sector to do something about reducing our sugar consumption by imposing a tax on what is our biggest single source of excess sugar: high sugar drinks, which are particularly popular with children and teenagers. The drinks that’ll be affected are things like classic Coke and Pepsi, energy drinks, Fanta and tonic water. The tax will not be on the product as such but on the company. The tax will be on the volume of sugary drinks that a company produces or imports. The tax will be in two bands: one for drinks with more than 5g of sugar per 100 millilitres, and the second band for drinks with more than 8g. The price of a can of Coca-Cola will rise by about 10%. Milk-based drinks as well as pure fruit juices will not be taxed. The drinks industry has two years to get ready, and I’m sure they’ll be lobbying until the last moment against the tax. A feature of the tax will be that the money raised will be kept separate from general taxation and it’ll be used specifically to promote sport in primary schools.
So will the tax have its intended effect of reducing national sugar consumption? Other countries that have already tried something similar include Mexico and Hungary where the short-term result at least has been positive. The debate goes on, however, about the morality of the government trying to control what we consume.
KEY:
1 budget statement
2 high sugar drinks
3 produces or imports
4 pure fruit juices
5 promote sport
6 short term
