STEWART PATERSON

Political Correspondent

THE Scotch Whisky Association and the drinks industry should drop its opposition to minimum pricing of alcohol and let the Scottish Government put the policy in place the Health secretary has said.

Last week the Court of Session ruled the policy was legal, in the latest in a long running court battle to block the law being implemented.

However the SWA said it was considering the judgement before deciding whether to make one final appeal to the UK Supreme Court.

It has already taken the issue to the European Court of Justice which sent it back to the Court of Session.

Shona Robison, Health secretary said the Scottish Government intended to implement it as soon as possible.

She said: “Although we respect the right of the Scotch Whisky Association to seek permission to appeal the judgment, I hope that it will accept it and enable us to get on with implementing a life-saving policy.”

She was asked by Cathcart MSP James Dornan about the impact on health who also called on the alcohol lobby to end the saga.

He said: “I look forward to the drinks industry now respecting the will of Parliament and allowing these life-saving measures to be introduced without further delay.”

Ms Robison said latest statistics showed the importance of interventions to reduce dangerous levels consumption of alcohol.

She said: “Minimum unit pricing is underpinned by a wealth of international evidence on the public health benefit, which has been before this Parliament on a number of occasions and, indeed, before the court.

We have seen the publication of alcohol-related hospital statistics that show that the rate of admission remains four times higher than it was in the early 1980s, adding further to the need for this life-saving policy. As I said, I hope that we can introduce it as soon as possible.”

She said minimum pricing was just one of 41 measures in the strategy to tackle alcohol related harm. Other measures include a ban on multi-buy discounts, improved education, more interventions with problem drinkers and a lowering of the drink drive limit.