MPs debate Health Committee report on alcohol
11 March 2010 (updated on 22 April 2010)
Kevin Barron MP, Chairman of the Health Select Committee opened a debate in the Commons on the Committee's recent report on alcohol. Gillian Merron, Minister of State, at the Health Department, responded to the debate
- Video and Audio: Debate: Alcohol
- Commons Hansard: Debate: Alcohol
- Health Committee
- Report: Alcohol
- Topical Issues: Alcoholism
Alcohol report
The main areas covered in the report and the subsequent Commons debate were:
- history of alcohol consumption
- impact of alcohol on health, the NHS and society as a whole, including the costs of crime and loss of work
- analysis of the Government's alcohol strategy
- NHS policies on prevention and treatment
- education and information policies
- marketing of alcohol, pubs and licensing
- off-licence sales, particularly in supermarkets
- price of alcohol and arguments for minimum pricing and rises in alcohol duty
- proposals for a new alcohol strategy
Estimates days
The debate was held on what is called an estimates day. Because all public spending has to be approved by Parliament, three such days are set aside each year to do this - known as estimates days. But in practice, they are often used - as on this occasion - for debating select committee reports chosen by Parliament's Liaison Committee.