Cameron 'supportive' of Manchester minimum price plans

David Cameron has backed the idea of a controversial plan by Manchester councils to introduce minimum pricing, saying he will look at it "sympathetically".

During a visit to Manchester last week, the Prime Minister said he was "very supportive" of plans by 10 Greater Manchester councils to introduce a by-law to allow a 50p per unit minimum price in the region.

Cameron also gave the industry hope by signalling he was aware action was needed on discount supermarket deals and was familiar with the concept of "pre-loading".

Cameron told the Manchester Evening News​: "I think the idea of the councils coming together on this is a good one and we will certainly look at it very sympathetically."

The Prime Minister said where local decisions can be made the government was "very happy for that to happen".

"It may be that we need to do something to help deliver the localist answer," he added.

However Cameron said a by-law could fall foul of the competition authorities - and ruled out the idea of minimum pricing on a national level.

But supermarket discount deals appear to be in Cameron' sights. "I think if what you're trying to do is stop supermarkets from selling 20 tins of Stella for a fiver that's what we've got to go after," he said.

"Where I want to try and help is ending the deep discounting on alcohol, people going and pre-loading, having bought from a supermarket where they were attracted by a price designed to bring them into the store."

A report in plans to introduce a by-law to allow minimum pricing is expected to be issued in October.

Mike Jones, alcohol programme manager for Greater Manchester Public Health Network (GMPHN), said: "We are putting together a task group to work out the nuts and bolts of the issue and working out what a model bylaw would look like."