Alcohol pricing minimums 'should be introduced' across UK if they work in Scotland, say Lords
Minimum unit pricing for alcohol should be introduced across the UK - provided the current Scottish scheme is successful, a Lords committee looking at the issue has concluded.
The Lords Select Committee on the Licensing Act 2003 said the rest of the UK should follow Holyrood's decision to introduce a 50p base level for alcohol units if the Scottish scheme is shown to be effective in cutting down excessive drinking.
However the Scottish 50p base level for alcohol units is currently facing legal challenges from the drinks industry who argue it "is a restriction on trade", and any issues surrounding the introduction of minimum alcohol pricing would need to be ironed out before it could be rolled out nationwide.
In the meantime committee peers called for a major overhaul of how licensing decisions are made in order to avoid the "scandalous misuse" of powers by councillors and suggested planning watchdogs took the place of local authority licensing committees.
Committee chairwoman Baroness McIntosh of Pickering described the current system as "fundamentally flawed" and in need of "a major overhaul".
She added: "The Committee was shocked by some of the evidence it received on hearings before licensing committees.
"Their decisions have been described as 'something of a lottery', 'lacking formality', and 'indifferent', with some 'scandalous misuses of the powers of elected local councillors'."