Edinburgh 0131 200 1200
Aberdeen 01224 49 80 80

News + Events

Latest news from Balfour+Manson

Minimum unit pricing of alcohol

Just before Christmas the European Court of Justice gave its judgment on issues arising in the case brought by the Scotch Whisky Association and others against the Scottish Government about Minimum Unit Pricing of Alcohol (MUP).
The main part of its ruling might be paraphrased: You can’t have MUP unless you can show that it can reduce problem drinking better than a duty increase could. You won’t do that merely by showing that a duty increase would reduce alcohol consumption by everyone (and not only problem drinkers), especially since you said a general reduction was the second part of your twofold aim.  
Expect the Scottish Government to seek to prove the negative: why a duty increase can have harmful effects, unrelated to public health. It might even look at views on that very topic as expressed by the industry in the past.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email