Alcohol: Minimum Pricing

Baroness Smith of Basildon Excerpts

Wednesday 24th July 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

I reiterate to my noble friend that the minimum unit pricing policy remains under consideration. It has not been shelved.

[Baroness Smith of Basildon]

My Lords, I am surprised by that answer. On several occasions I have asked the noble Lord from this Dispatch Box about this so that I might understand why the Government have moved from absolute certainty that they would introduce minimum alcohol pricing to equivocation and a consultation, and now seem to be moving to total rejection. Following David Cameron’s evasive answers at the weekend, the lobbyist and Prime Minister’s adviser, Lynton Crosby, has stated that he has never spoken to the Prime Minister about plain packaging for cigarettes. Can the Minister give us the same assurance about minimum alcohol pricing? Do the Government consider that Mr Crosby should now declare all his lobbying clients?

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

The noble Baroness has been in government and I am sure that she knows the procedures and the way in which Ministers behave in relation to advisers. I give that assurance in the knowledge that my right honourable friend the Prime Minister will vouch for that himself.