Harvey's Brewery is one of the best known businesses in Sussex, producing fine real ale from its brewery in Lewes.

It is just the sort of business that deserved help from Chancellor Gordon Brown's Budget move to help small breweries.

However, Harvey's does not qualify for Government help because it is producing too many pints of beer.

That means it faces the worst of both worlds. It has competition from small breweries who will get a 14p a pint reduction in beer duties.

At the same time it has to battle with the big breweries of Britain who can economise through the sheer scale of their operation.

The Government should think again and raise the limit for the cut in beer duty so it helps Harvey's and other similar breweries.

Otherwise the Chancellor's announcement, greeted with cheers in the Budget, will prove to be little more than froth.