§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now ban the advertising of alcoholic drinks on television, pursuant to his powers under Section 8(5) of the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1973.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesIt would not be appropriate for me to do so in the absence of evidence that such a ban would make an effective contribution to the prevention of the misuse of alcohol. As indicated in paragraph 154 of the White Paper on prevention and health. Cmnd. 7047, published in December 1977, the Health Departments are to publish a consultative document on the misuse of alcohol which will outline for discussion the arguments for and against various preventive measures, including restraints on advertising.