The Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) has conducted an independent analysis of the Home Office consultation on minimum unit price (MUP) at 45p per unit, indicating a different outcome from that suggested by the official response.
Earlier this year the Government confirmed it would not be introuducing MUP, despite pledging to do so in the 2012 strategy. In announcing the u-turn, Home Office Minister Jeremy Brown stated that "substantially more" respondents disagreed with the proposed 45p MUP. However, he did not clarify that some may have 'disagreed' as they felt the proposed minimum price should have been higher.
The IAS report highlights that the Government consultation report therefore failed to distinguish between responses that were against the principle of introducing MUP at any level, and those that wanted a MUP higher than the single 45p option posed.
Results from the IAS MUP consultation analysis report [pdf] found:
- Many respondents who were noted by the Home Office as against a 45p per unit minimum price were actually in favour of a higher minimum price of at least 50p per unit
- When accounting for this discrepancy, the proportion of respondents for and against the measure was split fairly evenly (45%:46% respectively), contrary to the Home Office figures (34%:56%)
- Thousands of responses from members of the public collected by Balance North East, expressing support for a 50p minimum unit price, were omitted from the published responses and Home Office calculations, whilst other submissions from individuals appear to have been accepted.
- A lack of clarity about the purpose of the consultation; whether it was designed to seek views on the level or the principle of MUP and it is unclear what role the consultation responses played in the decision-making process to delay the introduction of MUP.
The IAS analysis acknowledges a significant number of responses from the public were excluded and questions the reasons for this.
Katherine Brown, Director of Policy at IAS said:
“Given that the consultation was designed to seek views on the level and not the principle of minimum pricing, and indeed that respondents were invited to suggest alternative levels, it is odd that the Home Office results were not presented in a way that would take this into consideration".
“We hope that our report will provide a helpful contribution to the decision making process to introduce minimum pricing. The evidence to support this policy continues to get stronger, and this report shows there is greater public support than previously thought.”
The IAS suggest the Government need to use a more considered approach to gauging public opinion on proposed policies. When annocuning the decision to drop MUP, the Home Office also said previous plans for a 'below cost ban' had been resurrected, meaning alcohol will not be sold at lower than duty+VAT to 'stop the worst cases of heavy discounting'. Watch this space or see here for APUK minimum pricing coverage. Some views from the alcohol industry on MUP can be seen in this Morning Advertiser article.
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