First Minister Alex Salmond was yesterday urged to drop plans for a minimum alcohol price and back the new UK Government’s proposals to ban cut-price promotions.
The SNP leader faced calls from the Tories and Liberal Democrats at Holyrood to get behind a range of proposals set out in the coalition agreement published jointly by their parties at Westminster yesterday.
The alcohol plan will stop retailers selling drink below cost price and is likely to ban loss-leader promotions on lager, wine and alcopops.
Tory leader Annabel Goldie said yesterday SNP plans for a blanket minimum alcohol price were “floundering”.
But she said: “This coalition agreement is coming up with a way forward. Will the first minister support a ban on the sale of alcohol below cost price? Will he work with the UK Government to target problem drinks and problem drinkers through alcohol taxation and pricing?”
Ms Goldie called for greater use of existing laws to clamp down on under-age drinking during first minister’s questions and called on him to ditch the SNP’s minimum pricing policy, which is “probably illegal” and “penalises responsible drinkers”.
The first minister said minimum pricing is among a range of measures that will help tackle Scotland’s alcohol problem.
Ms Goldie said Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to Holyrood last week was a symbol of the new “working relationship” between the Edinburgh and London administrations. The commitment to look at the fossil fuel levy fund could release millions of pounds for Scotland, according to Miss Goldie.
Mr Salmond said the fossil fuel levy is Scotland’s “own money” and it would be a good thing to get access to it. Borrowing powers, capital acceleration and a jobs plan are other areas where Scotland would benefit, Mr Salmond said, as well as a fair application of the Barnett Formula.
Lib Dem leader Tavish Scott said: “The UK Government’s programme contains many proposals that can help Scotland.”
Getting banks lending to Scottish businesses, support for marine renewable energy, an offshore electricity grid, action on rural fuel prices, and superfast broadband for all of the UK were among the new measures highlighted by Mr Scott.