asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will set out in the Official Report the latest information of the per capita consumption of absolute alcohol in the United Kingdom and the other eight member countries of the EEC; and the price relative to personal disposable income.
pursuant to the reply [Official Report, 31st July 1978], gave the following answer:The latest information on consumption of alcohol of the kind asked for is contained in "International Statistics on Alcoholic Beverages, Production, Trade and Consumption 1950–1972", published by the Finnish Foundation for Alcoholic Studies and the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe.The figures for 1972 are:
| CONSUMPTION OF PURE ALCOHOL, IN 1972 | |
| litres/head | |
| Belgium | 9·3 |
| Denmark | 7·7 |
| France | 16·8 |
| West Germany | 11·0 |
| Ireland | 6·0 |
| Italy | 13·6 |
| Luxembourg | 11·5 |
| Netherlands | 6·4 |
| United Kingdom | 6·9 |
| CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC DRINK IN 1976 (pints/head) | |||
| Beer | Wine | Spirits (equivalent pure alcohol) | |
| Belgium | 237·0* | 27·6 | 3·4 |
| Denmark | 229·3 | 22·1 | 3·3 |
| France | 86·2 | 178·3 | 4·4 |
| West Germany | 265·4 | 41·5 | 5·0 |
| Ireland | 216·5 | 8·0 | 3·5 |
| Italy | 24·8 | 175·5 | 3·5 |
| Luxembourg | 225·3 | 79·7 | 7·2 |
| Netherlands | 147·6 | 20·0 | 4·4 |
| United Kingdom | 209·2 | 9·9 | 2·9 |
| *Provisional. | |||
Source: The Brewers' Society Statistical Handbook 1977.
| EXPENDITURE ON ALCOHOLIC DRINK AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL HOUSEHOLD SPENDING IN 1976 | |
| Belgium | 1·6 |
| Denmark1 | not available |
| France | 2·5 |
| West Germany2 | 2 |
| Ireland3 | 13·1 |
| Italy | 2·5 |
| Luxembourg4 | 2·0 |
| Netherlands | 2·2 |
| United Kingdom | 8·0 |
SOURCE:
ESA National Accounts 1970–1976.
Statistical Office of the European Communities.
Statistical Yearbook 1977 for the Federal Republic of Germany.
NOTES:
1 All beverages and tobacco, 9 per cent.
2 Estimated from the percentage (3·2) for all beverages.
3 1975.
4 1974.