'Alcohol policy in tatters as health experts revolt'

The government's "responsibility" deal on alcohol looks likely to fall apart as health experts, angered by the limited concessions required of the drinks industry, consider walking away from the table. The deal, between the industry, the government and health experts - including the chiefs of groups such as Alcohol Concern and the British Liver Trust, as well as senior doctors working on alcohol-related health problems - was billed, when launched last summer, as a fresh, collaborative approach to a serious public health problem. But an investigation by the Guardian has found that the major issues flagged up by health experts, such as the price of a unit of alcohol and marketing, are not even up for discussion. The investigation found the so-called responsibility deal will do the "bare minimum", such as putting information on beer mats - The Guardian ​

The government's proposed minimum price for alcohol has been set so low it would have stopped only one cut-price drink deal out of thousands in the last three months, a Guardian investigation has found. The UK's four leading supermarket chains had 3,667 cut-price alcohol deals in the last three months, according to data provided by promotions consultancy Assosia - The Guardian ​

Cheshire's leading police officer has called for a minimum price for alcohol double that under government proposals. The county's Chief Constable David Whatton has said beer should cost no less than 50p per unit of alcohol; the government is proposing 21p. His report, which is coming before the Cheshire Police Authority, wants all councils in Cheshire to make use of local bylaws to force the issue - BBC​