Alcohol sponsorship of sport 'a complex issue'

The Minister of State for Sport, Michael Ring, has said the Government needs to find alternative funding for sporting groups, if alcohol sponsorship is to be banned.

The Labour Minister for State at the Department of Health Alex White is calling for legislation to ban drink companies from sponsoring large sporting events by 2020, with some new rules possible as early as 2016.

The Minister of State Michael Ring says major discussions are underway in Government about what is a very sensitive issue.

He said it is not as simple as banning drink sponsors, and leaving groups with no funding at all.

He said: "As you know this is a complex issue, because there is going to be a knock-on effect in relation to funding for sporting organisations at a time when Government are cutting funding for sport.

"We have to be very careful that we don't take away other funding that they need.

"I would love to say that we could do without alcohol sponsorship in sport, but we have to be very careful and very diplomatic in the way that we do this."