Major push for bylaw to allow minimum pricing

Health lobbyists are campaigning for a landmark bylaw that will allow councils across the North West to bring in minimum pricing.

In a document, seen by The Publican, the Manchester-based health body, Our Life, has outlined the "strongest legal approach" for getting a minimum price of 50p in the region's pubs and supermarkets.

The move has been welcomed by a Manchester-based trade body, representing more than 600 on-trade venues in the city, and tallies with The Publican's own Make it the Minimum campaign.

Councils are being asked by Our Life to force the government into giving local authorities the power to introduce a minimum price.

The group has taken legal advice which shows that under the Local Government Act 1972, a bylaw can be introduced for the "prevention" and "suppression" of nuisance in an area.

It also highlights that under the Local Government Act 2000, councils have the power to do anything "likely to promote the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of their area".

The group says the strategy would avoid falling foul of competition law, which is the major stumbling block around minimum pricing.

Reports emerged last year that councils and National Health Service leaders were pushing for a minimum price due to concerns about alcohol-related problems in the North West.

But the new document shows the health community is determined to make a noise about the issue, as the government seems reluctant to act on minimum pricing on a national scale.

Andy Walker, head of corporate affairs at Our Life, said the bylaw proposal was currently "just an idea up for discussion".

But he added: "For a lot of councils and health bodies around the region the bill for alcohol problems is becoming unaffordable.

"The supermarkets are very much part of this and it's something that needs to be addressed."

The group admits that even if the bylaw bid fails it would still "send a message to government that real and tangible action on alcohol pricing is now required".

Phil Burke, a spokesman for the Manchester Pub and Club Network, said the group "fully supported" any scheme that would bring in minimum pricing.

"It will give us a fair playing field and it's what we've been asking for for a long, long time," he said.

"It's really affecting people's livelihoods."

But Lee Le Clercq, regional secretary for the British Beer & Pub Association North, questioned the idea of a bylaw.

"I cannot begin to imagine how UK competition laws would allow such an anti-competitive bylaw no matter how well intentioned it might be," he said.

"If we are to have minimum pricing it must be national not local.

"What is even more surprising is that in times of public sector cutbacks and anticipated job losses, there are those who consider this an effort worthy of the investment of public money."