Chamber
Plenary, 25 Oct 2007
25 Oct 2007 · S3 · Plenary
Item of business
Alcohol
I will explain where my concern lies. Suppose a supermarket does a deal that involves selling 12 cans of lager for the price of six. If an old-age pensioner who typically drinks two or three cans at the weekend goes along and buys 12 cans, he will take four weeks to drink them, and he will save money. Is that a bad thing? Of course it is not.
I turn to the question of licensed alcohol distribution. The cabinet secretary was right to point out that there is irresponsibility in how alcohol is sold by some people. We must therefore focus on that irresponsible minority in the licensed trade who are prepared to sell drink, in particular, to underage people. We must make it clear that continued behaviour of that type will result in the loss of licences and we must demand that licensing boards be much more proactive than they have been until now. People must not be able to sell drink to underage people with impunity and retain their licences. That message must be sent out loud and clear.
As I said, there is a wide consensus around this issue. My one objection is that the innocent are being punished along with the guilty. Nevertheless, we will work with the Scottish Government to achieve a tightening up of the existing licensing regime. I am convinced that a happier position can be achieved if we work together.
I move amendment SM3-681.1, to leave out from "notes the importance" to end and insert:
"and underlines the fact that those who do so should face losing their licences; notes the importance of close co-operation with, and support of, Scotland's police forces and licensing boards in this respect, as well as developing a long-term strategy to tackle the negative effects of alcohol misuse, and further notes the need for the NHS to play its part in early identification and intervention for those individuals drinking at harmful or hazardous levels."
I turn to the question of licensed alcohol distribution. The cabinet secretary was right to point out that there is irresponsibility in how alcohol is sold by some people. We must therefore focus on that irresponsible minority in the licensed trade who are prepared to sell drink, in particular, to underage people. We must make it clear that continued behaviour of that type will result in the loss of licences and we must demand that licensing boards be much more proactive than they have been until now. People must not be able to sell drink to underage people with impunity and retain their licences. That message must be sent out loud and clear.
As I said, there is a wide consensus around this issue. My one objection is that the innocent are being punished along with the guilty. Nevertheless, we will work with the Scottish Government to achieve a tightening up of the existing licensing regime. I am convinced that a happier position can be achieved if we work together.
I move amendment SM3-681.1, to leave out from "notes the importance" to end and insert:
"and underlines the fact that those who do so should face losing their licences; notes the importance of close co-operation with, and support of, Scotland's police forces and licensing boards in this respect, as well as developing a long-term strategy to tackle the negative effects of alcohol misuse, and further notes the need for the NHS to play its part in early identification and intervention for those individuals drinking at harmful or hazardous levels."
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alex Fergusson):
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S3M-681, in the name of Kenny MacAskill, on alcohol. I invite members who wish to take part in the debate to ...
The Cabinet Secretary for Justice (Kenny MacAskill):
SNP
I say at the outset that I will be happy to accept Pauline McNeill's amendment. We are seeking to address underage drinking and although we have laws, they m...
David Whitton (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab):
Lab
Does the cabinet secretary share my concern that alcohol can be bought in garages and chip shops? Surely making it so easy to purchase alcohol increases the ...
Kenny MacAskill:
SNP
Absolutely. The matter was flagged up by the previous Executive, and this Government will continue to move in the same direction.The fact is that we have to ...
Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind):
Ind
Should we infer from the tenor of the cabinet secretary's comments that the Government wants the whole Parliament to urge the Chancellor of the Exchequer to ...
Kenny MacAskill:
SNP
This Government feels that we should have those powers because they are, after all, powers that any normal independent nation has that allow it to act approp...
Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD):
LD
I am not sure that every member does agree. In other European Union countries, such as Italy, people spend a lot of money on alcohol and wine, and beer and s...
Kenny MacAskill:
SNP
We said at the outset that although price is not the only issue, it is a pivotal factor. We want to address the culture of price promotion and a variety of o...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
I should have said that we will be extremely tight for time if we are to fit everyone in, so I ask members to watch their time.
Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab):
Lab
The Executive is to be commended for having a debate on alcohol during alcohol awareness week. It is important that members put on record our appreciation of...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab):
Lab
The most recent "Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey National Report"—a survey of schoolchildren aged 13 and 15, which is conducte...
Paul Martin:
Lab
I thank Richard Simpson, who made—as always—a well-informed intervention. I will talk about underage consumption.On the proposal to ban certain drinks promot...
Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con):
Con
The debate is on a reasonably consensual matter; indeed, the Conservatives find the Labour Party and Liberal Democrat amendments acceptable. There is also mu...
The Minister for Public Health (Shona Robison):
SNP
Does Bill Aitken not accept that the whole point of alcohol awareness week is that people should know their own drinking limits? Surely each person should as...
Bill Aitken:
Con
The words to stress are "their own". We are talking about individual levels. That is the way forward, but we have to recognise that each individual has a dif...
Shona Robison:
SNP
Does the member agree that the evidence clearly shows that rates of consumption have gone up? Where young people are concerned, there is a direct correlation...
Bill Aitken:
Con
I will explain where my concern lies. Suppose a supermarket does a deal that involves selling 12 cans of lager for the price of six. If an old-age pensioner ...
Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD):
LD
I welcome the cabinet secretary's securing of this debate on alcohol. I also welcome many of his remarks, particularly those on the importance, difficulties ...
Kenny MacAskill:
SNP
Is the member suggesting that the ways in which alcohol is promoted that I mentioned in my speech are acceptable? Is it acceptable that beer is displayed wit...
Ross Finnie:
LD
That is not the point that I am making, although I can see where the cabinet secretary is coming from. History shows that there is a danger in the sort of wo...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
We move to the open debate, with speeches of a tight six minutes, please.
Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
We have heard and will hear more about the strategies that have been suggested for educating consumers on the dangers of excess alcohol consumption and about...
Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab):
Lab
One of the most harrowing experiences I had as a social worker was taking into care, in the early hours of a morning, a young baby of about six months whose ...
Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP):
SNP
In August 1994, while I was on holiday in Austria, I got the phone call that no one wants to receive. My mother called me to tell me that my father had died....
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab):
Lab
I welcome alcohol awareness week and its efforts to encourage sensible drinking. However, as other members highlighted, an unhealthy attitude towards alcohol...
John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con):
Con
Excessive alcohol consumption is a growing problem throughout Scotland, including in my constituency in the Borders. Lifestyles and the way in which alcohol ...
Dr Simpson:
Lab
The member makes an important point, but the early stages of alcohol-related brain damage result in repeated admissions, so the important point is not just t...
John Lamont:
Con
Indeed. I agree.Men and women in Scotland drink more frequently than men and women in England. Men and women in Scotland are also more likely to exceed the d...
Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD):
LD
Scotland's somewhat unhealthy relationship with alcohol is nothing new, as most of us know. The scale of the problem is obvious; it is growing and has been f...
Kenny MacAskill:
SNP
Will the member explain what he believes are the extreme legal interventions that the Government is proposing? I view our regulations on liquor licensing as ...