Chamber
Plenary, 07 Mar 2007
07 Mar 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Alcohol Misuse
The Scottish National Party's motion seeks to express the concern that is shared throughout the Parliament—and increasingly throughout the land—that Scotland has a significant problem with alcohol. The problem has been with us not just in recent years, but through the centuries. We must now face up to it and address it.
We accept that there is no simple solution to the problem that we face and that we need to tackle a multitude of factors. The Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform is right to point out, in his amendment, the need for individual responsibility. Our position is clear. We need Executive action, but we also need culture change throughout Scotland. That will involve enforcing and extending existing legislation and changing the attitudes of all Scots. Our motion focuses on misbehaviour, often by young people in housing schemes in Scotland, but alcohol misuse is not restricted to the young or to those in marginalised areas. It is found among people of all ages and classes. The Government needs to act on the problem of alcohol misuse, but each and every Scot needs to look at his ways. As someone who offended in the past, I recognise the error of my ways and the requirement to address my consumption.
The figures on alcohol misuse that the Office for National Statistics published recently are frightening and shocking. We should be concerned that alcohol misuse costs our country more than £1 billion. The health service will struggle to cope, not just to provide liver transplants, but in other ways. There are also clear correlations between alcohol misuse and violent crime, and between youth disorder, including antisocial behaviour, and the availability of cheap alcohol throughout the land. We need to address those correlations.
Problems do not occur only on Friday and Saturday nights. Sadly, many communities are blighted by misbehaviour throughout the week. It is clear that we need to tackle the availability of cheap drink to youngsters—and, sadly, children—who are a danger to others and to themselves as they drink themselves towards oblivion.
Our position on the Tory amendment is that we would, of course, welcome additional police officers on the beat. It is clear, and we have argued, that a visible police presence reassures communities and deters crime. However, there is a time and a place for simply chanting a mantra and a time and a place for recognising that we have to target matters. That is why we will not support the Tory amendment.
We readily accept and support a great deal of the minister's amendment. Over the years, we have supported what the Executive has done to tackle alcohol misuse, including its work with the industry, which plays an important role. However, we believe that there has been a significant change in Scotland that, to date, has not been tackled. That change is the growth of the off-sales trade. There has been a significant shift in the sale and consumption of alcohol away from on-sales and towards off-sales—that is, a shift away from people accessing drink in pubs and clubs and towards people buying drink from supermarkets and off-sales. Almost 50 per cent of the alcohol that is sold in Scotland is sold by the off-sales trade. We need to ramp up the action on that.
The Executive is to be supported—and has had our support—in the action that it has taken against the on-sales trade. It is also fair to say that the trade has tidied up its act. There are still recalcitrant traders, but the licensed trade in Scotland has done remarkably well, and further measures are being introduced.
We must now tackle the off-sales trade, because in many instances the people—youngsters, in particular—who are causing problems are obtaining their alcohol through the off-sales trade. They are not stumbling out of pubs and clubs after buying pints of lager or whatever; they are obtaining bottles of cheap cider and other drinks from supermarkets and off-sales premises. They are causing mayhem and carnage in our communities and are a danger to themselves.
We accept that there is no simple solution to the problem that we face and that we need to tackle a multitude of factors. The Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform is right to point out, in his amendment, the need for individual responsibility. Our position is clear. We need Executive action, but we also need culture change throughout Scotland. That will involve enforcing and extending existing legislation and changing the attitudes of all Scots. Our motion focuses on misbehaviour, often by young people in housing schemes in Scotland, but alcohol misuse is not restricted to the young or to those in marginalised areas. It is found among people of all ages and classes. The Government needs to act on the problem of alcohol misuse, but each and every Scot needs to look at his ways. As someone who offended in the past, I recognise the error of my ways and the requirement to address my consumption.
The figures on alcohol misuse that the Office for National Statistics published recently are frightening and shocking. We should be concerned that alcohol misuse costs our country more than £1 billion. The health service will struggle to cope, not just to provide liver transplants, but in other ways. There are also clear correlations between alcohol misuse and violent crime, and between youth disorder, including antisocial behaviour, and the availability of cheap alcohol throughout the land. We need to address those correlations.
Problems do not occur only on Friday and Saturday nights. Sadly, many communities are blighted by misbehaviour throughout the week. It is clear that we need to tackle the availability of cheap drink to youngsters—and, sadly, children—who are a danger to others and to themselves as they drink themselves towards oblivion.
Our position on the Tory amendment is that we would, of course, welcome additional police officers on the beat. It is clear, and we have argued, that a visible police presence reassures communities and deters crime. However, there is a time and a place for simply chanting a mantra and a time and a place for recognising that we have to target matters. That is why we will not support the Tory amendment.
We readily accept and support a great deal of the minister's amendment. Over the years, we have supported what the Executive has done to tackle alcohol misuse, including its work with the industry, which plays an important role. However, we believe that there has been a significant change in Scotland that, to date, has not been tackled. That change is the growth of the off-sales trade. There has been a significant shift in the sale and consumption of alcohol away from on-sales and towards off-sales—that is, a shift away from people accessing drink in pubs and clubs and towards people buying drink from supermarkets and off-sales. Almost 50 per cent of the alcohol that is sold in Scotland is sold by the off-sales trade. We need to ramp up the action on that.
The Executive is to be supported—and has had our support—in the action that it has taken against the on-sales trade. It is also fair to say that the trade has tidied up its act. There are still recalcitrant traders, but the licensed trade in Scotland has done remarkably well, and further measures are being introduced.
We must now tackle the off-sales trade, because in many instances the people—youngsters, in particular—who are causing problems are obtaining their alcohol through the off-sales trade. They are not stumbling out of pubs and clubs after buying pints of lager or whatever; they are obtaining bottles of cheap cider and other drinks from supermarkets and off-sales premises. They are causing mayhem and carnage in our communities and are a danger to themselves.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman):
Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-5692, in the name of Kenny MacAskill, on tackling alcohol misuse.
Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
The Scottish National Party's motion seeks to express the concern that is shared throughout the Parliament—and increasingly throughout the land—that Scotland...
Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab):
Lab
Does the member welcome the alcohol test purchasing scheme that is being rolled out, after being piloted in Fife, whereby retailers who sell alcohol to under...
Mr MacAskill:
SNP
The test purchasing scheme is welcomed in the motion, and the member's comment about education for parents and children brings us back to the culture change ...
The Deputy Minister for Finance, Public Service Reform and Parliamentary Business (George Lyon):
LD
I welcome the opportunity to talk about an important subject and describe actions that we have taken as part of a long-term process of changing culture—I am ...
Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP):
SNP
Will the minister give way?
George Lyon:
LD
I have quite a bit to say and I want to make progress, but I will give way to the member soon.We cannot have a short-term approach that targets one issue but...
Bruce Crawford:
SNP
Yesterday, the Local Government and Transport Committee considered a statutory instrument that will allow clubs to open to the public and sell cheaper drink,...
George Lyon:
LD
As Mr Crawford will remember from discussing the matter in committee, the occasional licences provided for by the regulations that we dealt with yesterday ar...
Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind):
Ind
Will the member give way?
George Lyon:
LD
I do not have a lot of time, but yes.
Margo MacDonald:
Ind
It is just a quick question. Will the Executive ban drink that is considered to be too high in its alcoholic content?
George Lyon:
LD
I am just coming to that matter. For on-sales premises, we are banning promotions that offer alcohol free or at a reduced price on the purchase of another dr...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh):
Con
You have one minute left.
George Lyon:
LD
We will shortly publish the outcome of research that examined issues around off-sales promotions and antisocial behaviour, as we promised during the stage 1 ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
Quickly.
George Lyon:
LD
We can change culture, as the smoking ban shows. It is about creating a society where alcohol misuse is no longer acceptable.
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
You must close.
George Lyon:
LD
That inclusive approach is the right way to tackle Scotland's love affair with the booze.I move amendment S2M-5692.2, to leave out from "with concern" to end...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
I call Nanette Milne to open for the Conservatives. You have four minutes.
Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con):
Con
Alcohol misuse is one of the most serious public health problems facing Scotland. Long gone are the days of my youth, when alcohol was available at home only...
George Lyon:
LD
I hope that the member will recognise that we can amend the schedule to the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 to deal with the situation if we think that on-sale...
Mrs Milne:
Con
Yes, I appreciate that, minister.
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
You have one minute, Mrs Milne.
Mrs Milne:
Con
There are so many licensed premises today that competition for custom is fierce, and licensing boards should be seriously considering the proliferation of al...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
I must hurry you, Mrs Milne.
Mrs Milne:
Con
The Conservatives have previously called for a crackdown on owners of licensed premises that sell to underage drinkers and for businesses to become more invo...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
You really must close.
Mrs Milne:
Con
We must support all initiatives to safeguard our society against alcohol abuse.I move amendment S2M-5692.1, to leave out from "and calls" to end and insert:"...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
I must stress to members that four minutes means four minutes—not four and a half, or four and three quarters. The rest of the speeches will have to be timed...