Brewers sign up to Responsibility Deal

Brewers that produce more than 90% of the beer sold in the UK have signed up to social responsibility pledges under the Government's "Responsibility Deal".

That's according to the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), as the news of the long-awaited Responsibility Deal is made public.

The Morning Advertiser first reported the Responsibility Deal​ last week.

The brewers signed up to the pledge to "foster a culture of responsible drinking, which will help people to drink within guidelines".

More specific pledges relate to clear labelling of alcohol, support for Drinkaware, strengthening responsible marketing practices, and supporting local partnerships.

Significant changes​

The group used the launch to call for a freeze in beer tax to encourage drinkers to chose lower alcohol products,

Chief executive Brigid Simmonds said: "Brewers and pubs have played a constructive role in this process and have signed-up to some significant changes in their operational and marketing practices that we hope will deliver real change.

"At the BBPA, we look forward to rolling our unit awareness campaign in pubs, as part of these commitments.

"Long-term change in our attitude to alcohol cannot be achieved simply through top-down regulation.

"Only by working together can we change the drinking culture in the UK. That is why the BBPA's membership has come to the table in such a constructive manner to ensure realistic steps are taken to benefit all of society."

The BBPA said its members already contribute to more than half the funding for Drinkaware, have a "good record" on alcohol labelling, are committed to community partnerships, and helps fund the £100m Campaign for Smarter Drinking.

Responsible drinking​

Meanwhile, brewer SAB Miller made three individual pledges alongside the other commitments.

These relate to helping consumers make informed choices on alcohol, providing support for responsible retailing of alcohol, and supporting research into promoting responsible drinking. The firm promised to publish details of its progress.

Yesterday Heineken pledged to remove 100m units of alcohol from the UK market by 2013 by developing a low-strength variant of one of its top brands — Foster's, Strongbow, Heineken and John Smith's — as part of the Deal.

Pubs have been asked to commit to three specific pledges under the scheme: acting to reduce underage sales; providing alcohol unit content at the point of sale; and support "community alcohol initiatives" such as Best Bar None and pubwatch.

Six health bodies have refused to sign up as partners in the Responsibility Deal, accusing the Department of Health of allowing the drinks industry to dictate health policy.

The pledges on food​

•Calorie information on food and soft drinks by 1 September

• 15% reduction in salt levels by the end of 2012

• Remove artificial trans fats from products by the end of 2011

The pledges on Alcohol​

• Over 80% of products on shelf, by December 2013, will have labels with clear unit content, NHS guidelines and a warning about drinking when pregnant

• Raise awareness of the unit content of alcoholic drinks in the on-trade off-trade

• Raise awareness of the unit content of alcoholic drinks in the on-trade on-trade

• Apply Challenge 21 and 25

• Financially support alcohol charity Drinkaware

• No alcohol adverts on outdoor poster sites within 100m of schools

• Support bodies such as Best Bar None and Pubwatch