Minimum alcohol price ‘unfair on poor’

Plans to introduce a minimum price for alcohol could unfairly penalise the poor, the Health Secretary warned today.

Andrew Lansley said it would be "regressive" to increase costs for the many responsible drinkers on low incomes. His remarks came as the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence called for a minimum price for beer, wine and spirits in England.

It did not set a price, but the Faculty of Public Health and the British Medical Association back a 50p per unit minimum. It would mean a bottle of wine would cost at least £4.50, a pint of beer £1.14, a 10-pack £10 and two litres of cider about £7.50.

The coalition Government has said supermarkets and off-licences will be banned from selling alcohol below cost, but has so far stopped short from backing a minimum price.

Mr Lansley told Sky News that there are "many low income households who don't drink irresponsibly but where this would have a significant effect".

There was no research to show what the impact would be for such households, he added. "We have to tackle alcohol, but not only in terms of the supply... but also in terms of demand."

Professor Mike Kelly, Nice's public health director, argued that the move was targeted to tackle "aggressive promotion of heavily discounted alcohol" in supermarkets. He said excessive drinking leads to 500,000 related crimes, 1.2 million violent incidents and just under 15,000 alcohol-related deaths.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association, the British Retail Consortium and the Portman Group, which represents the industry, warn that minimum pricing is "too simplistic".