Plaid : Raise alcohol price to save the traditional pub

Minimum pricing on alcohol should be introduced to save local traditional pubs says Plaid AM Helen Mary Jones and Myfanwy Davies, Plaid's Parliamentary Candidate for LLanelli.

Myfanwy and Helen Mary want to see the introduction of minimum pricing on alcohol to help traditional pubs in their battle against cheap supermarket offers. As well as helping the troubled pub industry, they believe that raising the price of cheap alcohol would help deter youngsters from binge drinking and reduce crime levels.

Many local landlords have been raising their concerns with Helen Mary and Myfanwy, and the difficulties they’re facing as they fight to compete with the low alcohol prices in supermarkets.

Both Helen Mary and Myfanwy have welcomed recommendations in a recent report by the House of Commons Health Committee to introduce a minimum price for alcohol. Other recommendations included restrictions on advertising visible to children and a ban on alcohol ads on social networking websites.

Plaid’s Helen Mary and Myfanwy will be sending out a questionnaire in the next few weeks to all the pubs within the Llanelli constituency, asking if they’d like to see the introduction of minimum pricing on alcohol.


Plaid‘s Helen Mary Jones said:

"There is very strong evidence from the British Medical Association, amongst others, that introducing a minimum price on alcohol can make a real difference in tackling the binge drinking culture.

The current culture of low prices in supermarkets is also very bad for our community pubs who can’t compete on prices, and who often find themselves in a situation where customers will have had a lot to drink before they arrive at the pub, and then responsible landlords might even be in a position of feeling that they can’t serve them.

We’re going to be surveying all pubs in the Llanelli area to find out their views on a minimum price for alcohol, and other steps that they’d like to see Government in Cardiff or London taking to support their businesses.

The community pub has an important role to play and we’ve lost too many of them in recent years. I want to see what we can do to support the community pubs that we have left here in the Llanelli area, and to help ensure that they have a prosperous future.”


Myfanwy added:


"We are seeing worryingly high levels of alcoholism in Llanelli as people tend to drink more on their own at home and tend to buy much stronger drinks than they would have in the past. It is so easy to buy very cheap vodka and other spirits from supermarkets and the low cost encourages people to drink much more as they 'frontload' or drink before going out for the evening.

Neighbourhood pubs can play a very important role in helping people drink responsibly because they are about more than just drinking. They are places to meet and for older people in particular they offer company and social support.

We know that our neighbourhood pubs are facing a very difficult time and we want to be able to offer them practical help.”