CHALLENGE ON ALCOHOL AFTER CIDER TAX DITCHED

CHALLENGE ON ALCOHOL AFTER CIDER TAX DITCHED
TIME TO BACK MINIMUM PRICING
The SNP have today challenged the Conservatives and Labour in Holyrood over their position on alcohol after the Tory Chancellor dropped changes to cider tax – previously hailed by Scottish Tories and Labour as evidence that tax should be used to tackle problem drinking not minimum pricing.
In recent debates on alcohol the Conservatives urged the SNP to wait for the budget to see real action on alcohol, while Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie insisted taxation through the budget was the best way to address the problem.
SNP MSP and former GP Dr Ian McKee said:
“The Tories urged the SNP Government to wait and see how they would tackle problem alcoholic drinks in the budget – but there was nothing to see.  No action was taken on alcohol at all, except to drop duty on cider.
“Labour said tax was the way forward, but they have today learnt the lesson that taxation on alcohol is a political tool not a policy solution.
“They said minimum pricing would be overtaken by events – yet it seems it is the Tories and Labour who have been left behind.
“The Tories and Labour must now accept that minimum pricing is the only way to tackle the pricing problems surrounding alcohol consumption and having been humiliated by George Osborne the Scottish Tories must now change their mind.
“Not a penny has been added to problem drinks, no action has been taken to rebalance alcohol taxation and the one rise that was planned  has been dropped as the result of an election promise to a key constituency.
“This shows the folly of basing action on alcohol on the tax system.  Instead of a solid base on which to target problem drinks the use of VAT and duty simply makes alcohol taxation a political tool.”