Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of minimum unit pricing on alcohol-related cancer incidence.

Under our Health Mission, the Government is committed to prioritising preventative public health measures to support people to live longer, healthier lives. The Department will continue to work across the Government to better understand how we can best reduce alcohol-related harms.

The National Cancer Plan will build on the shift from sickness to prevention set out by the 10-Year Health Plan and will seek to reduce risk factors. The plan will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, as well as prevention. This will include alcohol consumption alongside other risk factors, given that alcohol is linked to an increased risk of seven types of cancer, namely: mouth; pharynx, or throat; larynx, or voice box; oesophagus; breast, in women; liver; and bowel, which includes colon and rectum cancer.

In relation to ensuring public awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer, the Government has a responsibility to provide the most up to date health information to enable people to make informed choices about their drinking. Both the UK Chief Medical Officers’ low-risk drinking guidelines, and National Health Service webpage on alcohol, clearly state that alcohol consumption can increase the risk of developing seven types of cancer.

Published evidence on the impact of minimum unit pricing does not break down how the policy impacts alcohol-related cancer.