As a proportion of overall violence, alcohol-related violent crime climbed steadily from 41% in 1995 to 55% in 2009-10. More recently, it has fallen back to 40% of all violent crime in 2016-17. The cost of alcohol misuse to society is estimated to be around £21 billion a year, with alcohol-related crime estimated to account for around £11 billion a year. We continue to work with the police to equip them with the right powers to take effective action.

Both the Home Office and the Department of Health take this issue very seriously. The hon. Gentleman will know that the Secretary of State for Health recently announced a report on helping children of alcoholic parents. Violent crime is down and alcohol consumption overall is down, particularly among young people, but of course it is very important to look at this issue, particularly in relation to domestic abuse. We will be looking at how we can deal with it, in combination with the Department of Health, as part of our modern crime prevention strategy.

I can certainly say to the hon. Gentleman that I recognise the problems that alcohol causes. He particularly referenced not just problems for pregnant women, but the part that alcohol often plays in domestic violence and abuse. That was why, when I was Home Secretary, we produced an alcohol strategy and worked on the issue of alcohol. The Government continue to recognise the importance of this issue and to work on it.

We are taking a large number of steps to deal with alcohol abuse, including the introduction of late-night levies, including the local action areas and including the early morning restriction orders. We are also dealing with the industry and securing voluntary action from it. In fact, I am meeting the industry in about 45 minutes to see what progress has been made.

The answer to Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town of 1 April 2014 made clear that estimated changes in alcohol consumption are relative to the effects of the previous alcohol duty rates policy. Changes in consumption will be subject to a number of factors, of which changes in duty rates are one.

The Government’s Alcohol Strategy aims to cut the number of people drinking at harmful levels.

In November 2012, the Home Office launched a consultation on five key areas with the aim of reducing alcohol-fuelled crime, antisocial behaviour and alcohol-related health harm.

The Government response, published in July 2013, provided an analysis of the responses and set out the next steps that the Government will take:

Targeted national action, ending sales of the cheapest alcohol by introducing a ban on selling alcohol below the price of duty and VAT, and strengthening the ban on irresponsible promotions in pubs and clubs.

A challenge to industry to increase its efforts, building on what has already been achieved through the Public Health Responsibility Deal. This includes tackling high strength products; promoting alcohol responsibly in shops; improving education around drinking; and supporting targeted local action.

Support local action on alcohol-related harm, identifying a number of high harm local alcohol action areas and take action with them to strengthen local partnerships; improve enforcement; and share good practice based on what works locally. The Minister for Crime Prevention announced the 20 successful areas on 13 February 2014.

Identifying a change in alcohol by volume (ABV) was the methodology agreed by the Responsibility Deal Monitoring Group as the best way to measure progress towards delivery of the Responsibility Deal pledge, made by alcohol producers and retailers, to remove 1 billion units of alcohol from the market by the end of 2015 principally through improving consumer choice of lower alcohol products.

The first interim monitoring report of progress, considered the extent to which the number of units of alcohol sold in the United Kingdom changed between 2011 and 2012 (a reduction of 1.3 billion units) and the portion of that change that can be attributed to changes in the average alcoholic strength of products (a reduction of 253 million units). When shifts between different

categories of drink are controlled for, the average ABV decreased by 0.04 percentage points from 7.26% in 2011 to 7.22% in 2012. This generated the reduction of 253 million units of alcohol.

This takes into account a downward pressure from an overall reduction in the volume of product sold, a slight upward pressure from a shift in market share towards higher strength products (wine and spirits) and a downward pressure from an overall reduction in the strength of drinks within product categories.

The first interim monitoring report has been placed in the Library.

The Advisory Board is a strategic sounding board for the Alcohol Impact pilot, providing NUS with advice to enable it to:

maximise the impact and success of the pilot;

identify, and react to, strategic barriers and opportunities in the short, medium and long-term;

identify, and develop, influential and effective strategic partnerships for the Programme;

develop a strong legacy plan beyond the pilot.

Representatives for the board were selected by the NUS, in consultation with the Home Office, to provide a cross-section of groups who have expertise in a project that combines alcohol and the night-time economy, crime, higher education and community interests.

In addition to officials from the NUS and Home Office, 19 external advisors form the NUS Alcohol Impact Advisory Board.

They are representatives of:

Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education

Association of University Directors of Estates

Addaction

Portman Group

Association of Town and City Management

British Universities and Colleges Sport

Research and Analysis

Leeds University Union

Universities UK

Best Bar None

GuildHE

Newcastle University

Northamptonshire Police

Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers

Greater Manchester Police

British Beer and Pub Association

Public Health England

Best Bar None

The Advisory Board is a strategic sounding board for the Alcohol Impact pilot, providing NUS with advice to enable it to:

maximise the impact and success of the pilot;

identify, and react to, strategic barriers and opportunities in the short, medium and long-term;

identify, and develop, influential and effective strategic partnerships for the Programme;

develop a strong legacy plan beyond the pilot.

Representatives for the board were selected by the NUS, in consultation with the Home Office, to provide a cross-section of groups who have expertise in a project that combines alcohol and the night-time economy, crime, higher education and community interests.

In addition to officials from the NUS and Home Office, 19 external advisors form the NUS Alcohol Impact Advisory Board.

They are representatives of:

Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education

Association of University Directors of Estates

Addaction

Portman Group

Association of Town and City Management

British Universities and Colleges Sport

Research and Analysis

Leeds University Union

Universities UK

Best Bar None

GuildHE

Newcastle University

Northamptonshire Police

Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers

Greater Manchester Police

British Beer and Pub Association

Public Health England

Best Bar None

Yes, I assure the hon. Gentleman that we work closely with the Department of Health on this issue. Although the Home Office leads on alcohol strategy, the strategy work is done by both the Home Office and the Department of Health.

I entirely share the hon. Gentleman’s concern. The Government have already taken action: we set out a strategy in March last year, and we are now consulting on the introduction of a minimum alcohol price. That could save up to 700 lives a year in 10 years’ time, which would make a dramatic difference. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman supports what the Government are doing.

We published the Government’s alcohol strategy on 23 March 2012, and we are taking a comprehensive approach to reducing the incidence of alcohol-related disease and crime. Our strategy includes the introduction of a minimum unit price for alcohol, actions at local level, and pledges from industry under the responsibility deal.

The information requested is set out in the following table:

The figures in the table should not be used to estimate a completion rate for an individual programme: many offenders commencing during 2011-12 may actually complete in the following financial year. Likewise, a number of those completing during 2011-12 would have commenced in the previous financial year.

These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

The information requested is set out in the following table:

The figures in the table should not be used to estimate a completion rate for an individual programme: many offenders commencing during 2011-12 may actually complete in the following financial year. Likewise, a number of those completing during 2011-12 would have commenced in the previous financial year.

These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

The information requested is set out in the following table:

The figures in the table should not be used to estimate a completion rate for an individual programme: many offenders commencing during 2011-12 may actually complete in the following financial year. Likewise, a number of those completing during 2011-12 would have commenced in the previous financial year.

These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

The information requested is set out in the following table:

The figures in the table should not be used to estimate a completion rate for an individual programme: many offenders commencing during 2011-12 may actually complete in the following financial year. Likewise, a number of those completing during 2011-12 would have commenced in the previous financial year.

These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

The focus of our work, to date, on domestic abuse in the armed forces and service community has been on raising awareness about domestic abuse and advice on what to do if it is occurring.

The chain of command has an overarching responsibility to ensure that appropriately trained support staff are available. A domestic abuse protocol is in place between the Service Police and the Hampshire Constabulary that sets out arrangements for handling domestic abuse incidents, with reported cases recorded on the civil police record management system. Consideration is currently being given to rolling out similar protocols for all garrison areas.

The Kings Centre for Military Health Research has conducted some research looking at the levels of domestic violence in military populations following homecoming from a deployment, as well as the role of alcohol misuse. Their findings will be published in due course.