Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their forthcoming Alcohol Strategy will include a commitment to require cancer warnings on alcohol labels, following the findings in the report by the Alcohol Health Alliance, How we drink, what we think: Public views on alcohol and alcohol policies in the UK, published on 4 December, that the majority of people support such a requirement.

In March 2017, the Department issued guidance to the alcohol industry setting out how the guidelines can best be communicated on the labels of alcoholic drinks. The Department agreed a transitional period with the industry until 1 September 2019 to reflect the new guidelines on labelling.

The Government currently has no plans to include a commitment in the Alcohol Strategy to issue cancer warnings on alcohol labels. The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines highlight that the risk of developing a range of health problems, including cancer, increases the more you drink on a regular basis. Information on the low risk guidelines is also available online.