Government blasted over industry bias

The UK government has come under fire for allowing the drinks industry heavy representation on a national alcohol strategy committee.

The health lobby has voiced its alarm after the number of drinks industry representatives on the Government and Partners Working Group on Alcohol rose sharply following the election of the coalition government last year.

Drinks industry representation on the panel – which was formerly known as the Alcohol Strategy Group – has risen from an average of one or two people before the election to six or seven in 2010-11.

Those sitting on the panel include representatives of Heineken, Molson Coors, Bacardi, the British Beer and Pub Association and the Wine and Spirit Trade Association.

The health lobby argues that while it makes sense for the drinks industry to be consulted on government policy, it should not be involved in policy-making.

The row will be highlighted in a BBC Panorama programme tonight which examines the growing problem of alcohol abuse among young people. In the show, Anne Milton, a health minister, appears completely unaware of the existence of the government panel.

Back in March this year, six major health groups, including the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Physicians, refused to sign up to the government’s “responsibility deal” on alcohol which covered matters such as price, labelling and marketing of alcoholic drinks, saying that they were not allowed to discuss measures that would have most effect in curbing dangerous drinking.

The panel’s health representatives said at the time that the government had listened to the industry and refused to allow issues that could make a difference, such as price and promotion to children, to be discussed.

Health campaigners also criticised pledges by supermarkets, pubs and drinks manufacturers to reduce harmful drinking, such as labelling bottles and cans with the number of alcohol units, saying there is no way of measuring the success of the pledges.

Don Shenker, chief executive of Alcohol Concern, said: “There is nothing wrong with governments choosing to listen to different stakeholders, but when representatives of the drinks industry are invited to form health policy, one has to question the value of this, particularly when the pursuit of making money from alcohol sales is at odds with government intentions to reduce alcohol harm.

“This government needs to decide if it wishes to truly get to grips with the significant levels of alcohol harms in the UK, or stick with the status quo of allowing the drinks industry to call the shots. It can’t have it both ways.”

A spokesman for the Department of Health added: “We are committed to challenging the assumption that the only way to change people’s behaviour is through adding to rules and regulations.

“The Government and Partners Alcohol Working Group consists of representatives from government departments with an interest in alcohol. It includes health academics, representatives of the drinks trade and organisations with an interest in the harm caused to society and individuals by alcohol.

“Our Public Health Responsibility Deal is working with the industry on voluntary agreements to get speedier results. We have already seen encouraging signs with Asda pledging to stop displaying alcohol at the front of the stores and Heineken promising to reduce the alcohol content of one of its brands.”

In response to the criticism, the drinks industry has pointed to latest NHS figures which reported a fall in the numbers of youngsters who drink alcohol.

Between 2009 and 2010 the percentage of 11 to 15-year-olds who had tried alcohol fell from 51% to 45%.

WSTA chief executive Jeremy Beadles said: “The increase in the number of young people who have never drunk alcohol and the fact that those who do drink appear to be drinking less, continues the recent trend of declining underage consumption. It is particularly welcome that young people are themselves becoming less tolerant of drinking among their peers.

“It suggests the message about the risks of under-age drinking is getting through, which is why the industry continues to invest millions of pounds in a campaign to change attitudes to alcohol misuse.”

Diageo GB managing director Simon Litherland added: “It is encouraging to see that young people’s drinking continues to fall in line with the adult population over the last eight years.

“We continue to see that parents’ attitudes are crucial in whether young people choose to drink or not and that the attitudes of the young people themselves are becoming less tolerant towards drunkenness. We hope to see this pattern continuing over the next few years.”

Panorama‘s documentary on alcohol harm is on BBC1 tonight at 8.30pm.