Reaction to minimum drink price Bill

The Scottish government has reintroduced a bill aiming to bring in a minimum price for a unit of alcohol.

The SNP administration has said it will not be a "magic bullet" but it will go some way to finding the solution for combating Scotland's booze culture.

Here are views on the policy from a range of organisations.
Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA)

The chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, 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.

"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."
Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA)

Patrick Browne, chief executive of the SBPA, said: "Without commenting on the principles of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) of alcohol, I think there will be concern in the trade that the Scottish government seem to have abandoned the sunset clause which they had proposed to have apply to MUP when they brought forward their legislation last year.

"This would have meant that the parliament would have had to have voted for minimum pricing to have been retained going forward rather than the measure having to be subsequently abolished by new legislation if MUP was proven not to have worked.

"Ironically, the sunset clause provision was the only aspect of minimum pricing to have been passed previously by the Scottish Parliament and the fact that it has been removed is of concern.

"Similarly, the Bill as it stands contains no details about the mechanisms by which MUP would be set, what process would lead to deciding a figure, and what involvement the industry or stakeholders would have in those processes.

"We are worried that leaving those critical details to subsequent regulations mans inevitably they will be subject to less parliamentary scrutiny and safeguards. We will be pressing for those details to be included in the Bill before it is finally voted on by the Scottish Parliament."
Royal College of Nursing (RCN)

Theresa Fyffe, the Scotland director of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said: "While some measures such as banning drinks promotions have already been introduced, there is no doubt that the scale of Scotland's problem with alcohol means more action is needed, which is why RCN Scotland supports the Scottish government's plans for minimum pricing.

"Healthcare professionals see evidence of the burden that excessive consumption of alcohol places on the health and wellbeing of Scotland's people every day, whether it be in A&E, wards caring for people with illnesses resulting from excessive alcohol consumption, addictions services or in GP practices and community health centres.

"It is high time that minimum pricing was introduced to help turn the tide in our ongoing campaign against Scotland's drinks problem."

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