I will keep my contribution short because most points have already been made. Alcohol addiction is a serious illness that has devastating effects not just on the individual but on the wider family and friends. I welcome the fact that the Government is looking to try and address the problems in society caused by this illness, but I do find the idea of legislation on the price of alcohol rather misguided.

The Assembly’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee claims the measure, and I quote,

'would not be a silver bullet' that will address all alcohol-related harm, and it actually could have unintended consequences. And it is those that I wish to address now.

There is the potential danger of driving heavy drinkers towards other behaviours that will negatively affect their health, including diverting money away from food and their home in order to purchase alcohol and substituting alcohol for unregulated, illegal substances. This may also affect their children and the wider family. I would like to take this opportunity to ask the Government, as many others have previously, to look at other ways of tackling this addiction, like education and support, instead of, and certainly alongside, the minimum pricing of alcohol.