To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account was taken of the conclusions of his Department’s inter-departmental working group on sensible drinking published in December 1995 in formulating the Government’s policy on alcohol consumption; and if he will make a statement. (222325)

The report of the conclusions of the Department’s inter-departmental working group on sensible drinking, “Sensible Drinking”, were published in December 1995 and drew upon a wide range of research, epidemiological evidence, expert consensus and advice, including reports from various Royal Colleges, in considering the relative risks and potential benefits of alcohol consumption to both health and mortality.

The Government fully accepted the group’s conclusions and their findings remain the basis for our advice, that men should not regularly exceed 3-4 units daily and women 2-3 units daily.

The Government continue to keep under review the emergence of any major new evidence on risks relating to alcohol consumption, to ensure guidance remains up to date. For example, when new evidence concerning alcohol and pregnancy was identified the CMO issued revised advice on 25 May 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects on health of moderate alcohol consumption and its contribution to the prevention of coronary heart disease; and if he will make a statement. (222327)

The Department’s interdepartmental working group on sensible drinking reviewed the evidence concerning the beneficial effects of alcohol consumption to both health and mortality and their findings were published in the report “Sensible Drinking”, in 1995.

They found that light to moderate consumption of alcohol, less than two units of alcohol a day, at ages over 45 for men or post-menopause for women, can have a protective effect against a number of diseases, including coronary heart disease. However, drinking at this level may also contribute to other health harms, although at a lower level of risk.

Government guidance primarily focuses on advising the public about the progressive risks to their health associated with drinking above lower risk levels—i.e. either increasing risk or higher risk levels of consumption. This is because of the clear evidence that alcohol consumption contributes to a wide range of health harms, particularly when drunk regularly above the lower risk levels. The evidence also suggests that regular drinking above the lower risk levels does not incur any additional protective effect for coronary heart disease. Hence, the advice on lower risk drinking levels for men and women remains consistent with the evidence of possible health benefits for coronary heart disease.

The Government continue to keep under review the emergence of any major new evidence on the risks and benefits relating to alcohol consumption, to ensure that guidance remains up to date.