The following has just been issued by the Scottish Government:

“From 1st May 2018 there will be a minimum unit price for alcohol in Scotland which will become a mandatory condition of all premises and occasional licences. The Scottish Government has proposed a price per unit of 50p. The unit price still has to be ratified by the Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Government has confirmed that there will be no ‘grace period’. Thus anyone in Scotland holding a premises licence or occasional licence for the sale or dispatch of alcoholic products within Scotland with an ABV of over 0.5%, either on or off the premises, will have to comply as of 1st May.

The final draft guidance details how to calculate the minimum pricing as follows:

“The price per unit (£0.50) x the strength of alcohol (ABV) x the volume in litres.”

Note that prices must always be rounded up to the nearest pence.

You can find a link to a calculator for the minimum price here.

The draft guidance also provides useful information in respect of promotions, reward cards, multipack products and complimentary drinks.

There will be no grace period and all retailers will need to conform by the 1st May 2018