This week’s deal between the government and the drinks industry on measures to tackle harmful drinking was watered down after a backlash by smaller retailers, The Grocer can reveal.
The proposals include a voluntary Responsibility Deal pledge to stop production of canned carbonated alcohol products with more than four units of alcohol.
Ministers also wanted a voluntary ban on high-abv lager and cider sold in plastic bottles containing more than 15 units but were unable to agree a deal. They also failed to win backing for a more binding nationwide agreement involving extended powers for the Portman Group, backed by changes to the Licensing Act.
It is understood the Portman proposal failed because smaller retailers feared too much power would be handed to the big brewers that make up the Portman Group.
Ministers did succeed in getting the Retail of Alcohol Standards Group, run by the wine and Spirits Trade Association, to agree to produce “wide-ranging” guidance on best practice in stores. But a source suggested it was “highly unlikely” this would include a self-imposed ban of selling alcohol in the front of stores or a Scottish-style move to confine alcohol to restricted areas.
A £250,000 pledge to kickstart alcohol education programmes also fell way short of the £5m to £7m funding The Grocer understands had been discussed previously.
AB InBev was among the first suppliers to sign up to the four-units pledge. It will stop selling 500ml cans of its 9% abv Tennent’s Super by the end of the year, but will not stop making the product. “People should not underestimate what a strong package of measures this is,” said Henry Ashworth, Portman Group chief executive and Responsibility Deal alcohol network chair.
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