Government may water down key element of alcohol report

The Government is considering watering down a key recommendation in an expert report aimed at addressing the availability of cheap alcohol.

The national substance misuse strategy report called for a 2008 law compelling retailers to separate alcohol from other products to be enacted, replacing a voluntary code of practice.

It has emerged the Department of Justice is considering ignoring that call and may instead back a weaker option, involving statutory support for a code of practice.