Letter: A Budget that ends consumerism

Sir: The compiler of the bar-chart you published comparing the duty imposed on alcoholic beverages in different European countries has made the all-too-common mistake of confusing alcohol by volume and degrees of proof. For example, the figure '40 per cent proof' is given for spirits. This is incorrect; it should be 40 per cent alcohol by volume, and is the equivalent of 70 degrees of proof.

Yours faithfully,

RICHARD HALLIDAY

Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire

17 March