Booze Price Gets Cross Channel Focus

A proposal to enforce a minimum price structure on drinks' retailers has been in focus in a bi-lateral discussion.

The Stormont Health Minister, Edwin Poots has met with his Scottish counterpart, Nicola Sturgeon to discuss a range of health care issues affecting both countries.

During the meeting, the Ministers addressed a number of topics including professional health service contracts, clinical excellence awards, emergency planning and care of military personnel.

NI Health Minister Edwin Poots was also very keen to discuss Scotland's progress on minimum unit pricing for alcohol.

The DUP Minister said: "This is an area where I have great concern and it is a significant issue for both Northern Ireland and Scotland.

"Scotland is more advanced than Northern Ireland in relation to their proposals for minimum unit pricing for alcohol and I have been watching the progress of these proposals with interest," he said.

"The cost of alcohol misuse to Northern Ireland could be as high as £670m, with £122m of that coming directly out of the health service budget.

"This is a significant 'pot of money', which clearly could be better spent on frontline services within the community," he continued.

"In Northern Ireland, we have already taken a range of measures to address misuse of alcohol, but one area which I think could make a real difference is that of pricing."

The Minister continued: "My Department and the Department of Social Development launched a public consultation on the issue which closed on 26 June.

"We are currently analysing the consultation responses and once that is complete, it is hoped that an options paper will be presented to the Assembly at the beginning of the new term," he concluded.

(BMcC/GK)