Booze bill over first hurdle

Friday, June 11, 2010

Scottish government plans to tackle the country's alcohol abuse problems have passed their first parliamentary hurdle.

MSPs voted for the principles of the Alcohol Bill, although opposition parties have vowed to remove plans for minimum pricing at a later date.

Other measures in the bill include banning drink promotions, provision to raise the age for buying alcohol, and bringing in a "social responsibility fee" for retailers who choose to sell alcohol.

But opposition parties argue setting a minimum price per unit of alcohol is probably illegal under European competition law. They will combine at a later date to remove the measure from the legislation, which still needs to pass two further stages of scrutiny before becoming law.

Critics also argue the move punishes responsible drinkers, and have called for the specific targeting of cheap "problem drinks", such as fortified wine and strong cider.

The Scottish government points to research by York University which said alcohol misuse in Scotland was costing taxpayers between £2.4bn and £4.6bn a year. However, ministers have yet to name their preferred minimum price for each unit of alcohol within a drink.