The Scottish Government tonight vowed to press ahead with controversial plans to increase the age for buying alcohol from off-sales - despite MSPs rejecting the proposal.

The Scottish Government tonight vowed to press ahead with controversial plans to increase the age for buying alcohol from off-sales - despite MSPs rejecting the proposal.

Holyrood voted by 72 to 47 against increasing the age for buying drink in supermarkets and off-licences from 18 to 21.

The move - part of a package of measures put forward by ministers to tackle Scotland's drink problem - has already been criticised by students leaders, the retailers and drinks manufacturers.

However a spokesman for First Minister Alex Salmond said: "We believe the proposal to raise the age of purchase in off-licences and supermarkets is a very strong proposal.

"It is based on a number of very successful pilots and ministers believe therefore it was important to look at the success of these pilots and to consult on rolling out the very considerable benefits across the rest of Scotland.

"Ministers are very confident of the merits in the proposal as part of a much broader package of measures to clamp down on a problem that is costing Scotland at least £2.2 billion per annum in terms of the cost of Scotland's alcohol misuse."

The spokesman said a Bill to introduce those measures was likely to be outlined before the end of this year.

And he said: "Ultimately it will be for Parliament to decide."

Mr Salmond also defended the planned under-21 off-sales ban, telling MSPs: "After a generation, we are finally seeing proposals to face down Scotland's relationship with the booze."

The move is being proposed after a number of community pilot schemes, such as the six-month trial in Stenhousemuir which saw anti-social behaviour calls on Friday and Saturday evenings reduce by 40%.

Breaches of the peace also fell by 40%, while minor assaults there were down by 30%.

And Mr Salmond said: "I think we should as a Parliament start to look seriously at some of this evidence that is emerging."

Labour leader Iain Gray argued the change was opposed by young people themselves.

"They think this proposal is unfair, unworkable, ineffective, and frankly daft," he said.

"Will the First Minister listen to Scotland's young people and drop this idea?"

Tory leader Annabel Goldie was also critical, telling Mr Salmond: "You deal with alcohol abuse by targeting under age drinking and law-breaking licensees, you don't create a new set of criminals, you just need to clamp down with the existing laws."

The Labour leader and the Tory both pressed Mr Salmond on the issue at First Minister's Questions in the Scottish Parliament, Before that campaigners against the proposal had gathered outside Holyrood while MSPs debated the issue.

Tory deputy leader Murdo Fraser hit out: "The SNP are creating a ludicrous situation whereby students cannot buy a bottle of wine or a few cans of beer to enjoy in the hall of residence or flat."

Meanwhile Labour justice spokesman Richard Baker branded the plans a "political gimmick" and Liberal Democrat Ross Finnie warned a generation could be stigmatised by the proposals, which he claimed were "fatally flawed".

But justice secretary Kenny MacAskill insisted Scotland's drink problem was so great that action was needed.

He said 40,000 people a year needed hospital treatment for an alcohol-related illness and that Scotland had one of the fastest growing rates of drink-related liver disease and cirrhosis in the world.

He told MSPs: "That's why we need a serious debate, with serious suggestions from serious people.

"The difference between us and the other parties is we recognise the scale of the problem and are willing to try to new approaches to tackle it."

Benet Slay, managing director for drinks firm Diageo GB - whose brands include Smirnoff vodka, Johnnie Walker whisky and Guinness - responded: "Mr MacAskill has called for a serious debate, with serious suggestions from serious people.

"However, this requires a willingness to debate, listen and then respond."

Mr Slay continued: "We believe that raising the minimum age for off-sales purchases to 21 unfairly penalises the vast majority of 18-21 year olds who drink responsibly, without targeting those who do not."

John Drummond, chief executive of the Scottish Grocers' Federation said: "It appears many MSPs share SGF's view that the proposal included in the Scottish Government's recent consultation on alcohol, to increase the age limit to purchase alcohol in off-sales, from 18 to 21, is unfair and discriminatory.

"We are all aware that Scotland has a complex relationship with alcohol which must change, however, this ridiculous proposal is in danger of overshadowing the entire discussion on challenging Scotland's drinking culture."

After the vote Mr MacAskill said: "Alcohol misuse is costing Scotland more than £2.25 billion a year, this is causing problems in our health service and criminal justice system and undermining our economy.

"This government will not stand by and do nothing."

And he said: "While I'm disappointed with the way Parliament has voted, I can assure the people of Scotland that we'll be taking the time to consider all the responses to the consultation.

"We are also clear that we can't ignore the experience of the local pilots which show that raising the age can help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.

"As well as listening to the views of opposition politicians we'll listen to and respect the rights of our communities and police before we announce the way forward."

Tom French, Co-ordinator for the Coalition Against Raising the Drinking Age in Scotland (CARDAS), said: "We congratulate the Scottish Parliament for seeing sense and overwhelmingly voting to scrap this daft, discriminatory and unpopular proposal.

"I hope the Scottish Government will learn a few lessons from this charade, and will now concentrate on introducing sensible, evidence-based measures to tackle the serious problem of alcohol misuse in Scotland."