Fraser: SNP must ditch ludicrous offsales purchasing age ban plan and have mature debate on Scotland’s alcohol problem
02/10/2008
Speaking in the Scottish Conservative debate entitled Age limits on purchases of alcohol, Murdo Fraser MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education & Lifelong Learning, said:
“Presiding Officer, Scotland needs a mature and reasoned debate about our relationship with alcohol. The statistics are frightening. The UK is in the top ten in the world for alcohol consumption per head of population, and as we heard last week Scotland is worse than the rest of the UK. One in three men and one in four women in Scotland exceed the recommended daily limits for alcohol intake. Alcohol misuse costs Scotland around £2.25bn every year.
“Against this backdrop, the SNP Government was right to bring forward an alcohol strategy consultation, and the Scottish Conservatives are happy to engage with the Government in discussion around many of the sensible proposals in this. I am sure that goes for the other parties represented here in addition. What a pity then, that that shared ambition to tackle Scotland’s problems with alcohol has been overshadowed by one proposal from the Government in particular, its ludicrous plans to raise the age which alcohol can be pursued from off licences from 18 to 21. What a pity that this proposal has stolen the headlines and dominated the debate when we should be addressing issues around which we are likely to achieve some degree of consensus.
“Since the Government published its proposals in June for increasing the minimum age for purchasing alcohol there has been a huge backlash against them. I would pay tribute in particular to the campaign group CARDAS – the Coalition Against Raising the Drinking Age in Scotland - for the sterling work they have done in marshalling public opinion against these proposals, with a 10,000 signature petition. In addition, we have seen opposition from the Federation of Small Businesses, the Wine & Spirit Trade Association, the Scottish Grocers Federation, the Scottish Youth Parliament, NUS Scotland, and a whole host of other bodies.
“We believe that it is wrong in principle to raise the age which alcohol can be bought from 18 to 21. We have problem drinkers at every age in society. To target the 18-21 year olds suggests that that group alone has a specific problem which does not apply to other sectors of society. This proposal is discriminatory and there is simply no evidence to back it up.
“The SNP are creating a ludicrous situation whereby students cannot buy a bottle of wine or a few cans of beer to enjoy in their Hall of Residence or flat. They are creating an even more ludicrous situation whereby a soldier returning from a tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan at the age of 20 cannot buy a bottle of Champagne from the off-licence to celebrate with his wife on his return. And someone buying a bottle for him would be guilty of a criminal offence. But in either case the people involved would still be able to purchase alcohol in a pub. The proposal is inconsistent and unfair.
“The SNP in defending their proposals put great emphasis on their pilot projects which were carried out in Larbert, Stenhousemuir and Armadale and Coupar, claiming that a temporary restriction on sales of alcohol to those under 21 reduced substantially anti-social behaviour. But the reality is that you cannot extrapolate from these short time-limited experiments in a small geographic area, where there was undoubtedly much heightened awareness of the rules around alcohol off-sales, to a national, permanent ban.
“I can do no better than to quote Professor Sheila Bird, Vice-President of the Royal Statistical Society, who said that the Scottish Government were responsible either for spinning the figures or simply being naïve. Professor Bird said that a proper study was required, and these pilots did not constitute that. If the only argument that the SNP can marshall in defence of their proposal is the evidence of these pilots then they are on incredibly weak ground.
“Presiding Officer, what we need instead of this proposal from the SNP is a targeted approach to alcohol which addresses the problem drinkers, who are spread through all age groups in society. I have no problem about talking about pricing of alcohol, although I suspect if we are going to deal with this then it should be done through the tax system rather than some system of minimal unit pricing.
“Above all, before we consider further legislation we have to ensure that we are properly enforcing the laws that currently exist. The statistics tell us that in 2005/06 only 7 people aged under 18 were proceeded against in Scottish Courts for buying alcohol or consuming alcohol in a bar. Only 86 individuals were proceeded against in the same period for proxy purchasing. Yet we all know that under 18s have no difficulty whatsoever in accessing alcohol at the present time. Let us see a proper clampdown on those breaking the law as it currently stands and let us see what effect that has before we consider altering the current age limit.
“Presiding Officer, the SNP have to be congratulated on their remarkable success in building a broad ranging coalition against their proposals. They have succeeded in developing a true consensus in Scotland, between the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and Margo MacDonald. But the consensus does not stop there. We know that there are SNP backbenchers in this Parliament who themselves have reservations about this plan. We know that there are many SNP Councillors and activists at grassroots levels who think that the Cabinet Secretary for Justice is completely out of touch. And we know that even the SNP’s own usually ultra-loyal youth wing, the Federation of Student Nationalists have come out against the plans. If they cannot even persuade their own Party activists to support them then why on earth should the public?
“Presiding Officer, this is an SNP Government which believes that young people at the age of 16 are responsible enough to have a vote. Quoted in the Herald newspaper earlier this week, the Minister for Parliament Bruce Crawford said:- 'the Scottish Government agrees the lack of consistency with other legal rights on entering adulthood such as paying taxes, getting married or serving in the Armed Forces, leads young people to believe that their views are not valid or important'.
“Presiding Officer, I could not agree more. The SNP is saying in one breath that young people at 16 are responsible enough to vote, but with the next breath that these self-same young people should not be able to buy a drink in a supermarket or off licence for another 5 years. I am delighted to welcome Bruce Crawford to our consensus against the SNP plans.
“Presiding Officer, as I said at the start we need to get on with Scotland to have a serious debate about our relationship with alcohol. I call upon the Government to ditch these ridiculous proposals so we can get on with that important task. I have pleasure in moving the motion in my name.”