Ban below duty plus VAT will stop worst deals, claims minister

Government plans to ban the sale of alcohol below the rate of duty plus VAT have been confirmed today.

As The Publican​ reported last week, the government has plumped for a definition of below-cost as duty plus VAT - meaning supermarkets will be free to carry on with the vast majority of cut-price deals.

Campaigners and the health lobby have also slammed the plans, saying it will have little impact on binge-drinking.

The proposals will stop supermarkets selling a 440m can of lager for less than 38p, a litre bottle of cider for 40p, a bottle of wine for £2.03 and a litre bottle of vodka for less than £10.71, the Home Office said.

However, the Home Office branded it an "important first step" in the "delivering the government's commitment to ban the sale of alcohol below cost.

Home Office minister James Brokenshire said the ban was the "best starting point" for tackling cheap alcohol deals and claimed it will stop the "worst instances" of deep discounting.

In a statement to Parliament on the plans, Brokenshire said it would "send a clear signal to retailers and the public that government takes this issue seriously".

He added: "It will effectively set a minimum level below which alcoholic products cannot be sold and will stop the worst instances of deep discounting which result in alcohol being sold both cheaply and harmfully."

However, he did acknowledge the problem of pre-loading. "The government acknowledges the growing concern over how cheaply some alcoholic drinks are being sold, and is itself concerned about the link between alcohol and crime and disorder - in many cases as a result of 'pre-loading' in preparation for a night out," the statement said.