Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the increasing trend in alcohol consumption and harm; and what steps his Department is taking to tackle that increase.

There is a programme of work underway to address alcohol-related health harms and their impact on life chances, including the establishment of specialist alcohol care teams in hospitals and support children of alcohol dependent parents.

The new Office for Health Improvement and Disparities will lead our efforts to improve treatment and support, with £80 million of new investment. We have also committed to publish a new United Kingdom-wide cross-Government addiction strategy which will consider a range of issues, including drugs, alcohol and problem gambling. We will consider the emerging evidence around increased alcohol harms during the pandemic and what further action is needed as we develop the strategy.