Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of cheap alcohol on the rates of alcohol-related mortality for (a) young people and (b) homeless people.

The Department commissioned an evidence review from Public Health England on the public health burden of alcohol, which was published in 2016. This report was a comprehensive review of available evidence, which included the availability of alcohol and its impact on various socioeconomic groups. The report is available to view online at:

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/583047/alcohol_public_health_burden_evidence_review.pdf

The Government continues to review what further evidence is required to understand the impact of cheap alcohol alongside alcohol related mortality and alcohol related injuries, as well as reviewing the overall impact of minimum unit pricing.