Police chief backs minimum pricing

The SNP has welcomed the head of Lothian and Borders Police's support for minimum pricing for alcohol.

Speaking in The Times newspaper, Chief Constable David Strang said he backed minimum pricing, adding that alcohol is a key component in most violent crime.

He said: "Drinking to excess is a huge cultural issue in Scotland. I support minimum pricing.

"Without a doubt there is evidence of links between alcohol consumption and domestic and child abuse."

Deputy leader of the SNP Nicola Sturgeon said: "I'm delighted that Chief Constable David Strang backs minimum pricing. His officers, and police officers across Scotland, know only too well the havoc and violence that alcohol abuse causes our society.

"The SNP Government's efforts to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol as part of a wider range of measures in the Alcohol Bill were voted down by the unholy alliance of Labour, the Tories and LibDems, and if re-elected, the SNP will reintroduce it and campaign vigorously to persuade the chamber that it is high time we implemented minimum pricing to help tackle alcohol misuse in Scotland.

"That's why I believe that minimum pricing is a policy that must be introduced. There's strong and growing support for minimum pricing, from experts at home and abroad as well as, increasingly, the general public."

Murdo Fraser, Scottish Conservative health spokesman, said the SNP was "not living in the real world" when it came to minimum pricing for alcohol.

He said: "Everyone knows Scotland has a drink problem and we urgently need to tackle it. But the SNP's indiscriminate blanket minimum pricing which had no evidence base, would have penalised responsible drinkers, harmed the Scotch whisky industry, cost jobs and was probably illegal.

"It was never the answer and that is why the other main parties at Holyrood did not support it. We believe that the tax and duty system has a major part to play in increasing the price of problem drinks, and will continue to work in the next parliament to achieve this."