Item 8 on the agenda this afternoon is the Public Health (Minimum Price for Alcohol) (Minimum Unit Price) (Wales) Regulations 2019, and I call on the Minister for Health and Social Services to move that motion—Vaughan Gething.

Motion NDM7181 Rebecca Evans

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales; in accordance with Standing Order 27.5:

1. Approves that the draft The Public Health (Minimum Price for Alcohol) (Minimum Unit Price) (Wales) Regulations 2019 is made in accordance with the draft laid in the Table Office on 15 October 2019.

Motion moved.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm happy to move the motion in my name today, and I'm pleased to open this debate that will, hopefully, approve the Public Health (Minimum Price for Alcohol) (Minimum Unit Price) (Wales) Regulations 2019. If the regulations are agreed by Members, a minimum unit price for alcohol of 50p will come into force from 2 March next year. 

As we know from the passage of the Bill, alcohol is a major cause of death and illness in Wales, and the introduction of a minimum unit price will make an important contribution in helping to tackle the health risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption. In 2018-19, there were nearly 60,000 alcohol-attributable hospital admissions, and, in 2018, there were 535 alcohol-related deaths. I think Members across this Chamber agree that we must take action to reduce those numbers. 

The intended effect of this legislation is to tackle alcohol-related harm, including alcohol-attributable hospital admissions and alcohol-related deaths in Wales, by reducing alcohol consumption in hazardous and harmful drinkers, who tend to consume greater quantities of low cost and high alcohol content products. So, its objective is clearly a targeted one. The aim is not to reduce alcohol consumption generally, or to make it cost-prohibitive for all categories of drinkers. This legislation forms part of a wider and continuing programme of work to tackle alcohol-related harm here in Wales. And we've set that out in our substance misuse delivery plan for 2019 to 2022. 

We will, though, introduce a minimum price for alcohol to be supplied in Wales and make it an offence for alcohol to be supplied below that price. And, again, that was contained in the passage of the Bill, now the Act. A minimum price will set a floor price, meaning that alcohol could not be sold or supplied below that price. It would not increase the price of every drink, only those that are currently sold or supplied at below any minimum price. 

We've worked closely with retailers, the alcohol industry, public health and substance misuse stakeholders as this legislation has been developed, and we are committed to continuing to do so. Should the regulations be agreed, the key focus of our work now will be a communication campaign for retailers and the general public in the run-up to implementation. And that will continue to promote the public health aims of the legislation. I look forward to the debate and ask Members to agree to these regulations. 

Thank you, Minister, for your statement today. As you said yourself, this is part of a wider programme. This is the last element in the implementation of the legislation that has been passed previously, and the Welsh Conservatives will support these regulations coming into force. But I would like to just make a couple of points, because for us it is about the wider story, and I would urge you once again to be absolutely robust in the collection of data.

We know of many policies that have been implemented. Some have had their data collected very successfully, but there are also a substantial number where the data collection isn't very good, there's very little measurement, there's very little monitoring, there's very little analysis of the effectiveness of the policy. And we all recognise, and we should recognise, that this policy, this minimum unit price of 50p, will only work if it is in the round, if it goes in with everything else. 

I would like you to also undertake once again to ensure that there is adequate provision currently and in the future for alcohol treatment and support services. I do appreciate that you've put it in your substance misuse plan, and my colleague, Mark Isherwood, speaks on this subject most passionately, but we and the committee didn't find the evidence to say that there was enough support for people suffering from alcohol misuse currently, and we'd like to have that reassurance, going forward, that that will be there. 

Scotland, of course, are already a little bit further down the curve than this. Both Scotland and Wales are absolutely trailblazing in this legislation, and I would urge you to continue to monitor the impacts so that, as this legislation is implemented throughout Wales over the next five years, we can learn from them, as they are just that little bit further ahead of us. Because, hopefully, if this proves to be a really successful way of tackling an enormous epidemic, then other countries will follow us, and that's what we need to do—set the bar, have the evidence to say why it works and how it works, so that others may follow.

And finally, and it's been a particular concern of mine from some of the evidence we heard, is the issue of substitution. I would like to be really reassured that Welsh Government will have a strong grip on understanding whether or not substitution is taking place, because we wouldn't like to see people bounce out of one addiction and into another. Thank you.   

I rise happily in support of this minimum alcohol pricing legislation, as laid before us. Obviously, this is a major public health initiative, as the Minister has outlined. We've rehearsed previously, during the course of this Bill through the Senedd, the various direct impacts of alcohol on health in terms of liver diseases and the rest but also, obviously, as we'd appreciate, the wider influences in society like increasing rates of domestic violence, increasing crime and public disorder, linked to increasing rates of drinking strong alcohol.

Obviously, we've had the recent evidence, as has been alluded to by Angela Burns, that this policy—a very similar policy, actually—has been enacted in Scotland now, despite a five-year delay caused by the major drink industries there, who plainly have a vested interest in this, so they think. But, obviously, a report has been produced from Scotland last month that shows how successful the minimum alcohol pricing policy has been in Scotland. People in Scotland are actually drinking less alcohol now. Who would have thought? People in Scotland drinking less alcohol—I could hardly believe it, when I read it first of all in the British Medical Journal last month—and that is down to this trailblazing piece of legislation. Because, as the Minister has outlined and as we've said before, this legislation particularly targets strong alcohol in hazardous drinkers, and that's where it shows the greatest benefit as well.

Now, as regards my only point, really, in terms of the 50p per unit price, that is the unit price that has been used in all the modelling over the last few years. It has been the figure bandied about for several years now. Granted, the modelling that the Government here has been involved in was looking into a range of pricing, but we've settled on the 50p per unit, which is fine as it goes for the time being but, obviously, as time goes on, there will be a feeling that perhaps prices may need to change. Prices do change and, obviously, that minimum unit of alcohol pricing may need to change as well. So, in terms of it is the set figure for now, could I just enquire of the Minister what plans he has, or what strategy he does have in place, to look at what that price should be as the future kicks in, or are we forever going to have 50p per unit set in stone, which I would perceive would require some modification at a later stage? 

But, with those few comments, we are strongly supportive of this valuable public health measure. Diolch yn fawr.      

Thank you. Can I now call the Minister for Health and Social Services to reply? 

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you to both the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru for indicating their support today for the regulations that have been brought forward in my name.

I'll happily deal with a number of the points that were made by both speakers. To be fair, Angela Burns has consistently raised issues about evaluation and impact during the passage of the Bill, as it then was, during scrutiny, and I'm happy to recommit myself to the assurances that have been given, both about the understanding of the data on the impact on consumer behaviour and, indeed, if there are any trends that do emerge about the potential for substitution. There's been a recent report that, again, has a hypothesis of what might happen, rather than what actually has happened. Given that Scotland are a year ahead, if we are going to see trends in that area, we're likely to see them in a range of areas, including the potential for substitution. So, I'm happy to indicate that, not just during the passage of the Bill, but since implementation in Scotland as well, officials in the two Governments in Wales and Scotland continue to work in a very open and constructive manner, and that's a real strength in the way that our public health teams and the two Governments have been able to work.

In terms of the points about alcohol treatment and support services, you'll be aware that I recently confirmed a 10 per cent increase in the available funding for front-line services. We recognise that there's a need to continue to review the provision we are able to make within our budget to understand the level of need that exists and how effective those services are, as well. Because this is part of a broader conversation on choices that we all make as citizens: how much we eat, how much we drink, how much we move. These are all key parts, together with smoking, in our own health outcomes, but we do recognise there's a significant challenge for us in alcohol use.

And in terms of the broader point that Dai Lloyd makes about reviewing the level of minimum unit pricing, we again went through this in the passage of the Act, and I'm happy to point out again that it will be a matter of changing regulations to review the level of the minimum unit price. Because I do recognise that a price considered over the last few years and set in regulations from the start of March, should the Assembly agree it, will have a different impact in another two, three, four and five years hence. So, we will openly review whether there's a need to revise the level of the minimum unit price, and we'll be able to do that by regulation. That is absolutely part of what we'll consider.

And the final point, to finish on, is this broader point about considering the impact of the new regime. We've seen in Scotland it's had a real impact already. The lowest level of alcohol consumption in Scotland took place last year. It's the equivalent of 19 units per adult per week. There is a gap of 9 per cent in terms of pure alcohol sold in Scotland—they have 9 per cent higher than England and Wales—and that is the smallest difference since 2003. So, we can see it having a real impact.

The evaluation we're committed to doing under the passage of the Act will be brought forward, and I want to reassure Members there will be an opportunity for Members, with the sunset clause, to consider whether to continue with this regime, should the regulations be passed today.

Thank you. The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? [Objection.] Therefore, we defer voting under this item until voting time.

Voting deferred until voting time.