§ Mr. Simsasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out in the Official Report the latest available information for each of the member countries of the EEC showing (a) per capita consumption of alcohol in litres of pure alcohol and (b) expenditure on alcoholic drink as a percentage of total household expenditure.
§ Mr. Peter ReesFor the latest information about per capita consumption of pure alcohol, I refer my hon. Friend to Public Health Aspects of Alchohol and Drug Dependence, Report on a WHO Conference, Dubrovnik 21–25 August 1978, published in 1979 by the regional office for Europe, World Health Organisation, Copenhagen. There is a copy in the Library of the House.
This World Health Organisation information indicates that United Kingdom per capita consumption expressed in terms of pure alcohol was among the lowest in the community. The latest estimates of expenditure (including taxation) on alcoholic drink as a proportion of total household spending are set out below:
Expenditure on alcoholic drink as a percentage of total household spending in 1978 Belgium 1.7 Denmark* 4.2 France 2.3 West Germany† 2.2 Greece Not available Ireland Not available Italy 2.1 Luxembourg 1.7 Netherlands 2.5 United Kingdom‡ 7.9 Source: ESA National Accounts 1970–78, Statistical Office of the European Communities. CSO National Income and Expenditure, 1980 Edition. Notes: *1977 † 1975 ‡ 1979