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Response to Alcohol Commission
31/08/2010
The Alcohol Commission, set up by the Scottish Labour Party to examine alternatives to the Scottish Government minimum pricing proposals, has today published its findings.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon responded:
"Labour's Alcohol Commission makes some constructive suggestions for debate, but it ducks the central issue of tackling the cost of alcohol sold at pocket money prices in Scotland.
"In this vital area, it recommends passing the buck to Westminster. Why leave it to a UK coalition government - which at best has shown a lukewarm response to tackling the issue of cost - when we could take better, more effective steps ourselves?
"The reason for having a Scottish Parliament is to address the issues we face as a nation, and the Scottish Government believe that we have a responsibility to use these powers to address Scotland serious problem of alcohol misuse - including introducing minimum unit pricing - particularly when figures published today show that both men and women in Scotland are more likely to exceed government safe drinking guidelines than people in England.
"A ban on alcohol below the aggregate of duty and VAT is not a serious alternative to minimum pricing because it would create a price so low it would have no impact on the levels drunk- and therefore no impact on the harm and misery caused.
"Our offer to Labour and the other opposition parties is still open. We will consider any amendments they want to propose for the Alcohol Bill that provide a realistic, workable and effective pricing intervention that can be put in place now. Their Commission has failed to come up with anything of substance, but the door is still open. "