HL Deb 13 January 2005 vol 668 cc77-8WA

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe asked Her Majesty's Government:

In the light of the recently published studies indicating that the United Kingdom has the highest rate of teenage drinking in Europe, what plans they have to target this age group in their current campaign against binge drinking. [HL535]

Baroness Scotland of Asthal

The Government are working with the police and the alcohol industry to prevent the sale of alcohol to, and the purchase of alcohol by under-18s. This includes the wider use of fixed penalty notices for staff who sell to under-18s, confiscation of alcohol from minors and working with the industry on a social responsibility scheme which will include a protocol around seeking proof of age. A Christmas alcohol misuse enforcement campaign is also under-way in all 43 police force areas in England and Wales. Town centres across the country are being targeted in an effort to crack down on under-age drinking and alcohol-fuelled crime and disorder.

The Government also acknowledge that enforcement alone is not sufficient to tackle these problems and that a more holistic approach to tackling the misuse of alcohol is needed if we are to challenge current attitudes to drinking. That is why we launched the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England on 15 March 2004 which outlines a programme of work based on 41 recommendations covering actions on prevention, communication, education, and identification and treatment to tackle alcohol misuse and ensure that both consumers and retailers have a healthy and responsible attitude to alcohol.