Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:55 pm on 12 November 2019.
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.