Booze pricing study hailed

SCOTTISH Nationalists today hailed new research which they said endorsed their plans for minimum pricing of alcohol.

The Sheffield University study claimed a minimum price in England would cut premature deaths by 1,200 and hospital admissions by 38,000, saving the NHS 270 million a year.

The SNP said because Scotland's alcohol problem is more severe, the impact of minimum pricing would be even greater here.

SNP Lothians MSP and former Wester Hailes GP Ian McKee said: "You simply can't contradict scientific research."

Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said minimum pricing was "immoral" because it would take 90m from families and give it to big supermarkets.