Fife Whisky Festival and Support for artisanal spirit makers

That this House applauds the sixth Fife Whisky Festival which took place from 3rd to 5th March 2023 for its sell-out success; notes the value of the festival to the 35 participating distilleries and independent bottlers from across Scotland; endorses the importance of festivals like the Fife Whisky Festival for showcasing national and local produce; celebrates the opportunity to share Scotch Whisky with overseas visitors from countries from Europe to the USA; further notes the value of Scotch Whisky to the Scottish and UK-wide economies including exports in 2022 worth £6.2 billion; notes that 11,000 people are directly employed through the industry in Scotland, while 42,000 across the UK are in jobs supported by the industry; expresses concern at the challenges facing distilleries due to the energy crisis; expresses further concern at the threat to artisanal spirit makers from high spirit duties; and calls on the Government to introduce simplified and fairer alcohol duties and to further support hospitality and tourism industries.