Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Alcohol Harm

25 November 2021 · 7 other contributors

Opened by Derek Thomas Con St Ives

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Derek Thomas raised concerns about alcohol harm in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • The hon. Member for St Ives notes a record number of alcohol-specific deaths in 2020 and calls for an independent review of alcohol harm.
  • Derek Thomas highlights the need for systematic change to protect vulnerable individuals and communities from alcohol-related issues, including support for FASD and increased funding for treatment services.
  • The Minister acknowledges the significant harms caused by excessive drinking and mentions an 80 million investment in treatment services.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Derek Thomas Con St Ives

The hon. Member for St Ives notes the grave harm caused by excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol addiction, highlighting a record number of alcohol-specific deaths in 2020. He calls on the Government to commission an independent review of alcohol harm. Derek Thomas emphasises the need for systematic change to protect vulnerable individuals and communities from alcohol-related issues, including support for those with FASD, increased funding for treatment services, tackling stigma, and introducing measures such as minimum unit pricing and advertising restrictions.

Other contributors (7)
  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    The hon. Member for Strangford commends the debate on alcohol harm, noting record-high figures of alcohol deaths in Northern Ireland, England, and Wales. He agrees that the current Government strategy is not working and calls for change.

  • Liam Byrne Lab Birmingham Hodge Hill

    Emphasises the importance of acknowledging the impact of parental alcoholism on children, sharing personal experiences including the challenges faced while nursing his father during his final days. He discusses the work done since 2016 through NACOA and highlights the need for a strategy to combat the harm caused by alcohol, noting that there is currently no such strategy in place despite rising admissions for alcohol-related issues and budget cuts at local authority level. Calls for measures like minimum unit pricing on alcohol, better support for families affected by alcoholism, and education on the dangers of excessive drinking.

  • Alex Norris Lab Co-op Nottingham North and Kimberley

    I commend the hon. Member for St Ives on securing this debate and highlight the importance of addressing hidden harms like foetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The NHS bears a significant burden, with over 1 million hospital admissions related to alcohol annually. Alcohol-related deaths have risen by 20% in recent years. Nottingham saw an all-time high of 25,000 hospital admissions due to alcohol before the pandemic. The Minister is urged to commit to a national prevalence study on FASD and address funding cuts to alcohol treatment services which have worsened during the pandemic.

  • Derek Thomas Con St Ives

    Led on this important debate highlighting the serious harm caused by excessive drinking, including increased alcohol-specific deaths. Emphasised the need for population-level measures to address the issue.

  • Maggie Throup Lab Central Bedfordshire

    Acknowledged the importance of addressing alcohol misuse and highlighted government initiatives such as £80 million investment in treatment services, development of comprehensive UK guidelines, and support for children affected by parental addiction. Emphasised ongoing work on a new drugs strategy that will also benefit those with alcohol dependency.

  • Dan Carden Lab Liverpool, Walton

    Acknowledged but did not contribute due to personal circumstances.

  • Liam Byrne Lab Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North

    Asked the Minister about the timeframe for an addiction strategy and highlighted differences between drug and alcohol addiction, noting one is legal and the other illegal.

Government Response

Government Minister

Acknowledged significant harms caused by excessive drinking and highlighted government initiatives such as £80 million investment in treatment services. Emphasised ongoing work on a new drugs strategy that will also benefit those with alcohol dependency.

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