Scottish Labour would raise more cash from alcohol and gambling

Monica Lennon speaking at the Scottish Labour conference in Dundee

Scottish Labour would use a social responsibility levy on alcohol and gambling to raise money for prevention, the party’s shadow health secretary Monica Lennon has said.

The levy already exists, having been included in the 2010 alcohol act, and could apply to any licensed premises, but has never been used.

Announcing the policy at Scottish Labour conference in Dundee, Lennon raised the death of her own father after a life fighting alcohol addiction.

“The emotional scars of addiction run deep,” she said.

“Over 50,000 young people are affected by parental drinking. We will put support in place for them on the first day of a Scottish Labour government.

“We will end the predatory industry practices that saturate our poorest communities with betting shops, booze and unhealthy food, starting by enacting the Social Responsibility Levy.”

Implementation of the Social Responsibility Levy was was temporarily shelved in 2010 with the introduction of the public health supplement in 2012, a short-term tax on large shops selling alcohol and tobacco which ended in 2014.

The Scottish Government has maintained it would not introduce the levy “until the economic circumstances are correct”.