Liberal Democrats put issue of minimum pricing on the election agenda

The Liberal Democrats have given conditional support to the introduction of minimum alcohol pricing. The party says that it supports the principle of minimum pricing but that it would only introduce legislation on the basis of firm evidence.

The Lib Dems say that they would want detailed work done on precisely establishing how minimum pricing would tackle the problems of 'ill health and crime caused by excessive drinking'. The party also says it will review the taxation system on alcohol to see if it is possible to tackle ‘binge drinking’ without unfairly penalising responsible drinkers

The Lib Dems have also backed the Conservatives proposal to ban below-cost selling of alcohol in the off-trade. The Tories have stated their intention to overhaul the Licensing Act and give increased powers to local authorities to penalise and potentially shut any problematic late-night venues. The Conservative manifesto focuses particularly on shops and outlets which might be selling to under-age drinkers.

The Tories have also said that they would introduce a ‘community right to buy’ scheme for pubs and other local assets. For its part, Labour has promised to protect pubs, particularly those in rural areas. The Lib Dems have specially included - in the ‘access to culture and sport’ section of their manifesto – a commitment to encourage more music in pubs by making it possible for venues to put on live music without an entertainment licence, where the number present does not exceed 200. Pubs Minister, John Healey MP, put forward a similar proposal last month.

15 April 2010