Scottish government renews bid to bring in minimum pricing for alcohol

The Scottish Government is to press ahead with plans to introduce a minimum price for a unit of alcohol as a condition of licence.

The Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) Bill, which was published today, also sets the formula for calculating the minimum price. This will be based on the strength of the alcohol, the volume of the alcohol and a price per unit of alcohol.

The specific minimum price per unit of alcohol will be announced during the Bill process. This will happen after the University of Sheffield has rerun its minimum price modelling to reflect the most up to date data.

Scotland’s Health Secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, said the country’s relationship with alcohol was one of the most pressing public health challenges facing it as a nation and action was needed to tackle the problem.

Describing minimum pricing as “the missing piece in the legislative jigsaw”, she said: “We should not lose sight of what has been achieved during the last four years. We have had a wide-ranging debate on alcohol pricing and there is now widespread recognition across the country of the need to tackle pricing.”

Sturgeon said the Scottish Government had introduced a ban on quantity discounts and promotions in off-sales had been restricted, but these attempts to take action were – without minimum pricing – being undermined.

“By setting a minimum price for a unit of alcohol, we can raise the price of the cheap supermarket white ciders, lager and value spirits sought out by problem drinkers,” she argued.

Proposals for minimum pricing were rejected by Members of the Scottish Parliament before the most recent election.

Sturgeon said: "I hope that this time around MSPs will do the right thing and back this policy that has the support of doctors, nurses, the police and growing numbers of the general population. It is time for Scotland to win its battle with the booze."

The Scottish Government claimed that support for minimum pricing had come “from all quarters”, including all 17 of Scotland's public health directors in NHS Scotland, the Chief Medical Officer of Scotland and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association as well as alcohol manufacturers Tennents, Molson Coors and Greene King.

However, the government’s plans have been attacked by the Scotch Whisky Association, which argued that the proposals would not reduce harm.

The SWA also suggested that the move was potentially unlawful, claiming that the UK government had reached the same conclusion.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association attacked the proposed Bill as well.

Its chief executive, Jeremy Beadles, said: "As millions of families face the toughest economic conditions for a generation the Scottish Government is determined to press ahead with legislation that will punish the vast majority of responsible consumers with higher prices.

"Yet there is no evidence minimum pricing will address the problem of alcohol misuse and the most recent Government figures show alcohol consumption per capita fell in Scotland last year.”

Beadles argued that the Scottish Parliament should insist on its right to review the policy and its impact on cross-border shopping, internet sales of alcohol and any evidence of illegal trade of alcohol in Scotland.