96 replies to this topic

[gingerjon]

I think the chances of any government taking on Tesco and Asda are pretty slim. But I agree. The idea of minimum alcohol pricing is essentially a good one, but it could be improved by differentiating between on and off license sales.

My thoughts would be to impose a high minimum per unit price in the off-trade and bring in limits on the number of off-licenses. I'd then impose a much lower rate of duty and lower minimum price for the on-trade. This would encourage people to drink in pubs, bars and clubs, not at home. The social and economic benefits of that should be self evident.

My basic idea is that, as a general rule, it should never be cheaper to buy alcohol in a shop than in a pub.

The other thing I'd do is to toughen up the legal powers to deal with landlords who allow excessive drunkenness on their premises.

You are aware that the proposed minimum pricing will not alter the price of drinks in a pub?

[gingerjon]

Not everyone who buys loads of cheap booze from the supermarket actually drinks it themselves though. I'm getting loads in for Xmas but then I am having lots of people round.

Anything that doesn't get drunk over Xmas will be drunk over the year. In fact, I've still got quite a bit unopened from last year. Why should this option be removed from me due to other peoples irresponsibility?

There's nothing to stop discounting (there's a technical explanation in the consultation which I'm sure you've all read) and nothing to stop you as merely a social drinker possibly buying lower strength booze which will be cheaper anyway.

[gingerjon]

Exactly, I rarely drink at home but like a can of beer or a glass of wine now and again. Almost all of my drinking is done in pubs

Then this will make no difference to you at all.

[Steve May]

The anti-supermarket brigade who seize any opportunity to denigrate them

I think supermarkets are a wonder of the modern world. The fact that, pretty much anywhere in the country, at almost anytime of day or night, I can buy a banana for very little money is an astonishing and under-celebrated thing.

I just prefer pubs for drinking in and hope that supermarkets don't kill them all off by undercutting them.

[Steve May]

You are aware that the proposed minimum pricing will not alter the price of drinks in a pub?

Yes. And I think that's good. I think that pubs are inherently good things and would like to see more support for them. Just as soon as I rid myself of the offspring (only 16 more years) I intend to return to my previous heavily pubcentric life.

[Johnoco]

There's nothing to stop discounting (there's a technical explanation in the consultation which I'm sure you've all read) and nothing to stop you as merely a social drinker possibly buying lower strength booze which will be cheaper anyway.

What on earth would I want with low strength booze?

I wouldn't class myself as a social drinker, I drink to get drunk, otherwise I leave it alone and don't bother.

[Phil]

Then this will make no difference to you at all.

doesn't mean I can't object to it, I've never been hung but I have a view on hanging.

[shrek]

Not everyone who buys loads of cheap booze from the supermarket actually drinks it themselves though. I'm getting loads in for Xmas but then I am having lots of people round.

Anything that doesn't get drunk over Xmas will be drunk over the year. In fact, I've still got quite a bit unopened from last year. Why should this option be removed from me due to other peoples irresponsibility?

If the 45p unit price was here today, have you worked out how much extra your Christmas stash would cost compared to what you paid?

[Steve May]

I wouldn't class myself as a social drinker, I drink to get drunk, otherwise I leave it alone and don't bother.

I have to admit that's my view as well.

I find the idea that I would get home from work and sink a bottle glass of wine as a matter of course "to help me relax" rather odd. What's wrong with tea?

[Johnoco]

I have to admit that's my view as well.

I find the idea that I would get home from work and sink a bottle glass of wine as a matter of course "to help me relax" rather odd. What's wrong with tea?

This is exactly how I see it. I don't drink every day and sometimes not for weeks. But if we're drinking, then lets do it.

[Johnoco]

If the 45p unit price was here today, have you worked out how much extra your Christmas stash would cost compared to what you paid?

(shudder) I'd rather not thanks.......

[JohnM]

I think supermarkets are a wonder of the modern world. The fact that, pretty much anywhere in the country, at almost anytime of day or night, I can buy a banana for very little money is an astonishing and under-celebrated thing.

I just prefer pubs for drinking in and hope that supermarkets don't kill them all off by undercutting them.

I didn't mean you, Steve. I was more meaning the sort of people who contribute to, say, the BBC Radio 4 Food Programmme...where supermarkets are anathema.

I would certainly like to see something done about the many problems that seem to be associated with the supply, consumption, use and abuse of alcohol. I'm just not sure that this well do anything other than put the price up...and if it doesn't work, the "authorities" will just want to put the price up even more.

Edited by JohnM, 29 November 2012 - 02:23 PM.

[Steve May]

I didn't mean you, Steve. I was more meaning the sort of people who contribute to, say, the BBC Radio 4 Food Programmme...where supermarkets are anathema.

The snobbishness of bead and kaftan wearing lefties is the second most irritating thing about being on the left. The first being the idiocy, loutishness and general unreasonableness of those "comrades" who insist on calling themselves comrades.

[Severus]

If the 45p unit price was here today, have you worked out how much extra your Christmas stash would cost compared to what you paid?

So far I've bought two cases of ale in a bottle and half dozen bottles of red.

So that is approx 3 x 24 = 72 units from the ale and 10 x 6 = 60 units of red.

I paid £36 for the ale £30 for the wine which both works out at 50p per unit. I thought I got good deals on my booze and it looks like it would make no difference for me.

Edited by Severus, 29 November 2012 - 04:21 PM.

[shrek]

That's why it's a price per unit rather than a tax or other duty.

Out of interest, is there a provision for a variant of the "meal deal" in amongst all the information you've read? Could a supermarket charge the minimum price for say three bottles of wine and then throw in a main, side and desert for example?

So far I've bought two cases of ale in a bottle and half dozen bottles of red.

So that is approx 3 x 24 = 72 units from the ale and 10 x 6 = 60 units of red.

I paid £36 for the ale £30 for the wine which both works out at 50p per unit. I thought I got good deals on my booze and it looks like it would make no difference for me.

I think I'm the same, one of the benefits of me being a light weight drinker is I tend to stick to what I like rather than whats on offer and so my 3 bottles of beer for a fiver offers or variants there of will seemingly be unaffected based on there being roughly 2.5 units a bottle.

[Methven Hornet]

That's fairly stupid. It's in the interests of the Scotch Whiskey Association to put prices up. Minimum alcohol pricing means that higher quality producers will no longer be undercut at the low end - why pay a lot for awful slop when you could pay the same for a decent drop?

If they act wisely, they'll see their sales increase. British businesses are not generally famous for acting wisely though..

I think the SWA are thinking about their export markets; they are worried that other EU countries might introduce measures that target alcohol imports using 'health measures' as a cover.

[Wolford6]

It's a fairly safe bet that, if minimum pricing is introduced, the major breweries will claim that the loss in supermarket sales has devastated their turnover ... and thus they have no option but to raise the price of drinks in pubs and clubs.