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MSPs to quiz Nicola Sturgeon on alcohol price plan Health secretary Sturgeon ponders drink price rate
(about 9 hours later)
MSPs are due to quiz Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon on her plans to set a minimum unit price for alcohol. The Scottish government is currently revising its plans to set a minimum unit price for alcohol, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has said.
The SNP brought back legislation to set a floor price after failing to persuade opposition parties in the last parliamentary session.The SNP brought back legislation to set a floor price after failing to persuade opposition parties in the last parliamentary session.
Ms Sturgeon will be joined at Holyrood's Subordinate Legislation Committee by legal and public health officials from the Scottish government. Ministers set the price at 45p the last time round, but are currently assessing whether that needs to change.
Ministers have yet to decide what minimum price they will set. Ms Sturgeon said she hoped the decision could be made quickly.
Ms Sturgeon had previously said that minimum pricing was an essential part of wider attempts to tackle Scotland's unhealthy relationship with drink. She told the Scottish Parliament's subordinate legislation committee: "Why we are not sticking with 45 pence, is that the information and the reality that we're dealing with has changed in certain respects since then.
Her appearance comes just days after research from Canada suggested minimum pricing could reduce alcohol consumption. "We just need to make that decision based on the up-to-date information, so we will do that as quickly as we can, based on that information and make that available to parliament."
Researchers in the province of British Columbia found a 10% increase in minimum prices on drinks leads to a 3.4% reduction in consumption. Parliament voted down minimum drink pricing in 2010, after opposition parties said the move penalised responsible drinkers and may be illegal under competition law.
The study suggested "important health implications", linking cheaper alcohol with heavy drinkers. Now in majority government, SNP ministers have enough support to pass the plans.
If the unit price was set at 45p that would put the cost of a 700ml bottle of 37.5% ABV spirits at £11.82. A 500ml can of super-strength 9% beer would be £2.03. Ms Sturgeon said minimum pricing was an essential part of wider attempts to tackle Scotland's unhealthy relationship with drink.
Under the government's previous plan to set the the unit price was set at 45p, the cost of a 700ml bottle of 37.5% ABV spirits would have cost £11.82, while a 500ml can of super-strength 9% beer would have been £2.03.