LIB DEMS WELCOME SNP U-TURN ON ALCOHOL (Jim Hume)

LIB DEMS WELCOME SNP U-TURN ON ALCOHOL

March 24, 2009 11:23 AM

Jim Hume, Liberal Democrat MSP for the South of Scotland, has today commented on the Scottish Government's U-turn to put their alcohol measures into a Bill, which will allow MSPs to scrutinise fully controversial proposals like minimum pricing.

Jim Hume MSP said:

"Ministers have finally seen sense. Liberal Democrats made it very clear that we would not tolerate the Scottish Government attempting to sneak through such controversial measures.

"I am pleased that after initially dismissing our legitimate concerns about the cavalier way they proposed to introduce these measures, Ministers have now backed down.

"Ministers should remember this lesson in democracy the next time they try to bypass our national Parliament."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Liberal Democrats led calls for the SNP's alcohol proposals to be presented as a bill, writing to the Justice Secretary, negotiating in the Business Bureau and lodging a motion which quickly gathered cross-party support.

The text of Mr Brown's motion is below:

S3M-03649 Robert Brown (Glasgow) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): Scrutiny of the Scottish Government's Alcohol Reforms- That the Parliament expresses its serious concern over the Scottish Government's intention to introduce its alcohol framework without comprehensive scrutiny by the Parliament; recognises that elements of the proposals, for example the introduction of minimum retail pricing for alcohol, are deeply controversial and could potentially have a substantial impact on Scottish industry, the retail trade and consumer choice; considers that it is unacceptable for major reforms of this nature to bypass full public and parliamentary scrutiny; believes that measures to tackle Scotland's complex alcohol problems require a considered approach and should not be brought forward without due and democratic consideration, and therefore calls on the Scottish Government to bring forward all of its key alcohol proposals in a parliamentary Bill so that they can be subjected to full and detailed public consultation, parliamentary scrutiny and debate and to detailed votes by a parliamentary committee and by MSPs in the Chamber.