What is most tragic about alcohol-specific deaths, alcohol-related hospital admissions and the consequences of alcohol dependency is they are completely preventable. What is unforgivable, perhaps, is that alcohol dependency disproportionately affects people who are socioeconomically deprived. On average, people on low incomes drink less than people on higher incomes. The minimum unit pricing measure introduced by the Government is attempting to respond to the fact that affordability is a key driver of consumption. However, the most vulnerable in our society are still at most risk from harms and ill health caused by alcohol. By failing to address the causes of poverty, and failing to better support the most vulnerable in our society, we are putting too many people at risk of the dangerous consequences of alcohol dependency. The figures speak for themselves. In Wales the rate of alcohol-specific hospital admissions is 3.3 times higher in the most deprived areas. Around 45 per cent of people seeking alcohol treatment live in the 30 per cent most deprived areas, and 10 per cent of people seeking alcohol treatment have housing problems. Nearly 30 per cent of people in the UK receiving alcohol treatment report having some kind of disability. The Welsh Government needs to act with urgency to prevent further increases in these shocking figures. These figures reflect, however, deeply entrenched health inequalities in our society, inequalities that were reflected in the high death rates due to COVID within deprived communities.

The future impact of the economic storm, the cost-of-living crisis that is hitting these communities the hardest, on addiction and mental health, makes targeted action now to address those inequalities all the more critical. We need to take a holistic approach to reduce alcohol-related harms by supporting people who are most vulnerable to those harms. Poverty impacts on health. Research shows that those in poverty are more likely not only to lead an unhealthy lifestyle, but they are also harmed as a result of poor housing and stress related to their material and social circumstances. We know that poverty reduces people's resilience to disease, which, in turn, of course, makes them more vulnerable to the greater health harms of alcohol. It has been shown by multiple studies that alcohol can thus amplify and worsen the harmful effects of poverty. When alcohol and poor diet are combined, for example, the risk of alcohol-related conditions increases significantly in poorer communities.

The Westminster Government showed again in the Queen's Speech whose interests are at its heart, and it was again clear that it was not those who live in need, who deal everyday with financial stress, poor living standards, disabilities and insufficient income. If we had full devolution of welfare and taxes, for example, we could fashion and implement a compassionate benefits system, finance targeted support, rather than shrug and accept that we are at the mercy of a callous and neglectful Tory Government in Westminster. We could provide people with appropriate disability support, for example, to raise people's standards of living and help them better weather this cost-of-living crisis.

Whether or not minimum unit pricing goes some way towards addressing consumption, the inequalities that will always make some of our citizens more open to the harms of alcohol remain and are deepening. Understanding the role of social inequalities in driving alcohol harms and addressing those inequalities to prevent alcohol-related harms is of critical importance. I urge Members to support the motion.