Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role Public Health England will play in monitoring the effect of the implementation of a minimum unit price for alcohol in Scotland to inform any decision on that policy in England.

The Department commissioned an evidence review from Public Health England on the public health burden of alcohol, which was published in 2016. This report was a comprehensive review of available evidence, which included the availability of alcohol and its impact on various socioeconomic groups. The report is available to view online at:

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/583047/alcohol_public_health_burden_evidence_review.pdf

The Government will continue to review what further evidence is required to understand the impact of minimum unit pricing to inform future policy decisions, drawing upon the expertise of Public Health England.