The Scottish parliament has voted to increase the minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol by 15p to 65p – a rise of 30%.
MUP has been set at 50p since Scotland became the first country in the world to implement such a policy in May 2018. The increase is intended to counteract the effect of price inflation.
The new level comes into force from 30 September. It means the minimum price for a 70cl bottle of 37.5% ABV spirits will increase from £13.13 to £17.06.
A sunset clause in the MUP legislation meant the current rules would expire at the end of April but MSPs voted by 88 to 28 in favour of extending them – with the increase thrown in.
It is estimated there are 24 alcohol-related deaths in Scotland every week, with around 700 people hospitalised over the same period.
Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Christina McKelvie said: “We believe the proposals strike a reasonable balance between public health benefits and any effects on the alcoholic drinks market and impact on consumers. Evidence suggests there has not been a significant impact on business and industry as a whole, but we will continue to monitor this.”
Retailers can calculate both the current and forthcoming minimum prices of any alcoholic product on the Scottish Grocer’s Federation website.
