The Scottish Government is in talks with the Office of Fair Trading, it emerged yesterday, as Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said he is looking "carefully" at alcohol prices.
The Scottish Government is in talks with the Office of Fair Trading, it emerged yesterday, as Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said he is looking "carefully" at alcohol prices.
The government has insisted pricing forms part of its long-term strategy for tackling the country's drink problem, and will introduce bans on promotions and displays by September 2009.
However, confirmation that officials have had discussions with the OFT suggests Mr MacAskill is looking to introduce a minimum pricing system in Scotland.
The Justice Secretary said: "The issue of price is one that we are looking at carefully. Alcohol misuse is causing far too much damage in Scottish communities and it's costing our criminal justice system, economy and NHS dearly. It's not the drink, it's how we're drinking and we need to change that.
"It's clear that, as alcohol has become more affordable over the last 30 years, the amount we are drinking has significantly increased. Far too many Scots are drinking far too much and this is affecting us as individuals, communities and as a nation.
"When a bottle of high-alcohol cider is cheaper than water; when it's cheaper for young people to buy drink than go to the cinema or play football - we need to act."
The government has already accused retailers of hiding behind "spurious legal arguments" regarding pricing and claims it will "not be intimidated" by those attempting to use competition legislation to prevent an increase in prices.
Confirmation of the OFT talks comes weeks after the former Royal Physician of Scotland claimed local authorities can beat the market laws on competition and insist upon a minimum price for alcohol. Professor Peter Brunt, vice-president of the Royal College of Physicians and chairman of the Medical Council on Alcohol and Alcohol Focus Scotland, said navigation around EU and UK legislation would allow the imposition of a minimum price.
He said it is possible to beat competition law if minimum prices are imposed at the sole instigation of a public authority with zero involvement of the licensed trade, while licensing boards needed to show they were not engaged in economic activity. Mr MacAskill said: "We are working on a long-term strategic approach to tackling Scotland's cultural problem with alcohol, on which we will consult in the summer.
"At this stage we've ruled nothing either in or out."
Meanwhile, new figures show fewer than one-fifth of cases where alcohol was sold to youngsters led to prosecution. The most recent statistics reveal that in 2005-06 there were 357 offences recorded of a licensed person selling drink to someone under the age of 18.
However, that same year there were only 70 prosecutions. The statistics do not take into account sanctions by licensing boards, potentially the loss of licence, which many in the trade believe outweigh a fine by the courts.
The figures, in response to a parliamentary question from the Liberal Democrats, come before the nationwide roll-out of the test-purchasing scheme, where 16-year-olds are recruited to attempt to buy alcohol on behalf of the police.
In the past five months, dozens of premises have been caught and face licensing board, court sanctions or both.
