Roll out minimum alcohol pricing across UK if Scotland scheme succeeds - peers

Alcohol: Picture credit - Press Association

Minimum alcohol pricing should be introduced throughout the UK if the policy proves successful in Scotland, according a Lords committee.

Holyrood approved a new 50p per unit minimum price back in 2012, but the proposals have been dogged by legal challenges from the drinks industry.

The Scotch Whisky Association has applied for a Supreme Court appeal after losing a case in Scotland’s own Court of Session last year.

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In 2012 the coalition government pledged to bring in minimum pricing across the rest of the UK, but reversed its decision in summer of 2013.

The House of Lords committee on the Licensing Act 2003 said that if minimum pricing does go ahead successfully in Scotland, it should be rolled out in England and Wales.

“Assuming that minimum unit pricing is brought into force in Scotland, we recommend that once Scottish ministers have published their statutory assessment of the working of MUP, if that assessment demonstrates that the policy is successful, MUP should be introduced in England and Wales."

The committee also calls for the abolition of local authority licensing committees and hand control of licensing to planning committees.

The peers heard evidence of “scandalous misuses of the powers of elected local councillors”, including instances where they have failed to stand down when members of their own family were involved in a licensing case.