SCOTLAND is to pioneer minimum unit pricing for alcohol within six months.

Health Secretary Shona Robison announced the ground-breaking crackdown on cheap booze would begin on May 1, following a five-year battle with the drinks industry.

She said the government’s preferred minimum unit price remained 50p, the same level proposed when Holyrood passed the drink law as a health measure in 2012.

Low-cost, high-strength ciders and vodkas are likely to shoot up in price, as their cost becomes directly linked to their alcohol content.

Last week the UK Supreme Court unanimously dismissed an appeal by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) and others against minimum unit pricing (MUP), removing the final legal barrier to its implementation.

Ms Robison told MSPs the Association had agreed to pay the Scottish Government’s court costs, which are expected to exceed £500,000.

Former Health Secretary Alex Neil attacked the SWA for contributing to the loss of almost 400 lives because of the “unnecessary and irresponsible” legal action.

He urged Ms Robison to recover “every penny” of taxpayers’ money from the SWA, and said the whisky industry ought to invest in communities worst hit by alcohol abuse.

He said: “They owe those communities a lot after their irresponsible behaviour. We should make sure they pay those people as well as our legal costs.”

There were also calls from MSPs to raise the MUP above 50p, given the effect of five years of inflation, with LibDem leader Willie Rennie suggesting 60p a unit.

Ms Robison said the government still advocated 50p as that was the figure used to model the policy, and therefore the one least likely to provoke a fresh delay.

However she said ministers would consider new MUP suggestions as part of a consultation with retailers and the drinks industry ahead of implementation.

She also said the drinks industry would help evaluate the policy as part of a five-year review of how it worked in practice.

She said: “We want to introduce minimum unit pricing as quickly as possible.

“There were 1,265 alcohol-related deaths last year, up 10 per cent on 2015, while just today we see statistics showing a 2 per cent annual increase in alcohol-related hospital stays.

“These numbers are completely unacceptable. Behind every one of these statistics is a person, a family and a community.

“With alcohol on sale today at just 18 pence a unit, we have to act to tackle the scourge of cheap, high-strength drink that causes so much damage.

“Research shows a minimum unit price of 50 pence would cut alcohol-related deaths by 392 and hospital admissions by 8,254 over the first five years of the policy.

“I anticipate setting the minimum unit price at 50 pence per unit.

“We now want to hear from retailers, representative bodies and Licensing Standards Officers about the practicalities of implementation.”

MUP links the price of alcoholic drinks to their strength.

A minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol means a 12.5 per cent bottle of wine costs at least £4.69, a bottle of strong cider at 5.3 per cent at least £4.67, and a 70cl bottle of 40 per cent whisky £14.

SNP ministers estimate it could save around 500 lives a year by reducing alcohol intake.

Scottish Tory deputy leader Jackson Carlaw, whose proposal for a “sunset clause” forcing Holyrood to renew the MUP law after five years, was cited approvingly in the Supreme Court judgment, said: “This is a welcome step and the Scottish Government is right to introduce this as soon as possible. There is also a discussion to be had about the 50p rate.

“Not only is that figure now five years old, but will it be suitable for another five years as this policy develops?”

Scottish LibDem leader Willie Rennie added: “Would it not be advisable... to revise the price level? We set it at 50p before.

“Would it not be more suitable to set it somewhere in the order of 60p, to reflect inflation and other factors that have changed in the very long march towards delivery of the policy?”

SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson said the 50p unit price had been “significantly” eroded by inflation in the past years and asked the Scottish Government to reconsider raising it in real terms.

He also suggested linking it to inflation “to ensure this policy’s positive impact in saving lives in the years ahead continues without having to be considered intermittently”.

Ms Robison said she was “very keen to get on now with implementation” and would be “very cautious” about taking any action that could lead to further delay.

However she said she would listen to responses from the consultation, adding: “We will continue to keep that under review and if necessary come back to parliament.”