MPs' report urges minimum pricing for alcohol

On 7 January 2010, after a nine-month long inquiry, the House of Commons Health Committee produced its report which has called for minimum pricing on alcoholic drinks, mandatory health warnings and a rise in tax on spirits.

The report, which says "The department has shown extraordinary naivety in believing that the Licensing Act 2003 would bring about a civilised cafe culture" and that alcohol strategy "failed to take account of the evidence" that price rises were the most effective way of reducing consumption, states that the cost of alcohol misuse, including violence, ill health and death, has been estimated at up to £55 billion a year.

The prime minister has ruled out minimum pricing on the grounds that it would be unfair on the large majority of drinkers whose consumption poses no problem to themselves or others. But there are various advocates for change including Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer for England, as well as others in the medical profession and parliament.

In the report MPs found some places selling alcohol for as little as 10p a unit. It stated that a minimum price of 50p a unit could save about 3,000 lives each year.

Other statistics contained include the thought that 31 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women are now drinking "hazardously", consuming more than 21 units a week for men and 14 for women, and 9 per cent of men and 6 per cent of women "harmfully", drinking more then 50 units a week for men and 35 for women.

The report also highlights young people's vulnerability to excess alcohol by saying that drink is involved in 25 per cent of deaths involving young men aged 16 to 24, through car crashes, accidents and violence, for example.

The committee calls for year-on-year increases in alcohol duties, with particularly steep rises for spirits and white cider. It notes that spirit duty has fallen from 60 per cent of average male manual weekly earnings in 1947 to 11 per cent in 1983 and 5 per cent in 2002. The MPs say that it should be returned to the levels of the 1980s.

On the other hand the report urges the treasury to reduce the duty on drinks which contain less than 2.8 per cent alcohol by volume, to encourage greater consumption of lower strength wines and beers.

The document also calls for compulsory health messages, including recommended weekly limits, to be included on the label of every alcoholic drink, along with information about the number of units contained.

Further, a clampdown on alcohol advertising and sponsorship is called for. The report suggests bringing in a new rule, to be included in the advertising codes of conduct, which would stop a drinks company from advertising in the media or sponsoring events involving sports or music for example, if the audience is likely to contain at least 10 per cent of people who are too young to legally buy alcohol – under 18s.

Another suggestion is that there are greater rights for local councils and residents affected by drink-related anti-social behaviour to challenge the right of premises with poor records to hold a licence.

Kevin Barron, MP, the committee chairman said "Successive governments have failed to tackle the problem and it is now time for bold government. Even small reductions in the number of people misusing alcohol could save the NHS millions."

He also said, "I agree with the chief medical officer that introducing unit pricing will reduce binge-drinking. It will also help traditional pubs in their battle against cut-price supermarket offers."

The Committee's three Conservative members disagreed with the call for minimum pricing. Their party leadership is opposed, although it backs tax rises on alcopops, strong beer and cider, a tougher licensing regime and a ban on below cost-price selling by supermarkets.

The Government must respond to the Health Committee's report within two months.