SNP minimum price plan rejected

The Scottish government has suffered a potentially fatal blow in its plan to bring in minimum pricing after opposition parties again rejected the measure in Parliament today.

During a health committee session at Holyrood this morning, plans for a 45p per unit minimum were defeated in a 5-3 vote.

The plan is part of an Alcohol Bill the Scottish National Party is trying to get through Parliament.

Despite today's defeat, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said another amendment for minimum pricing would be tabled at the third, and final, stage of the Bill.

However, the move is still unlikely to gain enough support.

Sturgeon argued that Labour, the Tories and Lib Dems had not listened properly to the arguments around minimum pricing.

"I find it disheartening that some colleagues feel we can't be the first to try a new approach, that we must stand back and wait for someone else to pursue an action before doing something ourselves," she said.

"I argue that the scale of our problem means we need to take action now."

The SNP also offered to insert a sunset clause around minimum pricing, meaning the policy would be reviewed after six years. But the move failed to get enough support from opposition parties.

Kristin Wolfe, head of alcohol policy at brewer SABMiller, which is strongly opposed to minimum pricing, welcomed the news.

"The Scottish government is right to encourage adults who drink, to do so sensibly, and it was also right to consider the evidence behind minimum pricing," she said.

"What was found, however, is that quick solutions, like minimum pricing, to alcohol abuse simply do not exist."