MP: UK minimum price on alcohol not law breach

A minimum price on alcohol would not breach competition law, according to British Labour MP Sally Keeble. A minimum price on alcohol would not breach competition law, according to British Labour MP Sally Keeble.Keeble launched an Alcohol Sales Bill earlier this month, for which she hopes to gain support. She told Drinks International she believes that if drinks prices were set by legislation, it would not be a breach of competition law.Keeble said: “As I understand, the reason why we need legislation is because if all retailers got together to set a minimum price, that would be a cartel.”Keeble said that a minimum price per unit of alcohol would level the playing field for the UK on and off trade.   “There would have to be a council set up to organise this – made up of police, health organisations and representatives from the on and off trade. “I would think that about 40-50p per unit would be about right but the organisation would have to look to other countries to set this up.“The aim is not to affect the normal person, who consumes alcohol normally.”Pub all-inclusive drinks offers would be subject to customers consuming a certain number of units that will correspond to the price paid on the door.