SNP welcomes 'cross-party' minimum price support
Indications of cross-party support for minimum pricing in Scotland have been welcomed by the Scottish National Party (SNP).
Reports in the Glasgow Sunday Herald yesterday suggested that senior members of the Scottish Labour Party are backing calls for a minimum price per unit of alcohol to help tackle alcohol-related problems.
SNP's health committee member Michael Matheson MP said: "Labour MSPs join a growing consensus in favour, including the Chief Medical Officers of Scotland and England and Wales, former First Minister Henry McLeish, the British Medical Association, the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Nursing and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association who all recognise the need to tackle Scotland's problematic relationship with alcohol.
"Minimum pricing will target the high-strength, low-cost products causing the most damage to our health and communities, while leaving responsibly-priced products untouched."
However a spokesman for the Scottish Labour Party said it had yet to formally take a view on the issue and accused the SNP of "spinning".
He said: "We have not made any decision on minimum pricing because the SNP has not put forward any constructive proposals. When they do we will examine them closely.
"They are planning on putting the plans in the Criminal Justice Bill but we believe it should be a separate Bill that can be scrutinised by Parliament."
Minimum pricing is one of a number of measures the SNP is keen to introduce to tackle problem drinking in Scotland which is said to cost £2.25bn annually.
The Publican's Make it the Minimum campaign is calling for a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol to bring an end to irresponsible off-trade deals.
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