News

Source - The Herald 28/09/11

Consumers will have to buy alcohol in specially designated areas in a move designed to clarify that wine, sprits and beers are not routine purchases.

Supermarkets would have to introduce a separate alcohol purchase till and sell groceries in a different aisle, under plans backed by ministers.

The move follows growing concerns about young people buying alcohol at self-service tills in supermarkets. Ministers are also keen to differentiate between and pint of beer and routine purchases like a pint of milk.

Officials are also looking to create a rateable levy for supermarkets based on alcohol sales turnover because of concerns that the current system penalises small local pubs.

Currently, pubs pay up to 9% of their turnover in rateable value. Supermarkets are taxed not on alcohol sales but surface area.

The details of how this would work alongside the recently announced public health supplement for large retailers that sell both alcohol and tobacco are still under discussion.

A source close to the justice department said: “We want to review this to ensure there is separate tilling or a separate section of the supermarket for alcohol sales. We have to make clear this is not a normal, routine purchase – it is not the same as buying a pint of milk. The growth in self-service tills was not envisaged when the 2005 Act went through.”

“And why should a wee pub have to pay as much or more than a big supermarket for selling liquor? We want to look at a turnover rateable value for supermarkets.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Retail Consortium criticised the proposal. “Demonising alcohol is not the answer,” he said. “What we need is a responsible attitude to alcohol and we will get that by changing the culture through education, not by shoving it away in darkened corners and forcing people to go to the extra effort of going to separate tills and paying twice. This would create inconvenience and confusion and extra expense to retailers for no benefit.”

“I don’t see how a rateable value levy on supermarkets would work. What we want is bills that are predictable and affordable. It would be a mistake to make Scotland look like a business unfriendly place.”

The proposals, if agreed by Cabinet, would require amendments to the 2005 Licensing Act. Paul Waterson, chief executive of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said: “Alcohol is a unique and potentially dangerous purchase and should not be sold at unmanned tills. Prior to 1991, supermarkets had to have a shop within a shop to sell alcohol.” “Pubs are rated on turnover – which goes back to a time when they were much busier. They have to pay 8%-9% of their turnover. We would want either to see this reduced or see alcohol rated the same way.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Tackling Scotland’s unhealthy relationship with alcohol is a priority for this Government. That is why a bill to introduce minimum price for alcohol is being brought before the Scottish Parliament, while our alcohol framework included a package of over 40 measures to prevent problems arising in the first place.”