Tesco chief 'is binge godfather' by Finance News Bulletin

Published: 18/12/07

Tesco chief decision-making Sir Terry Leahy has been branded the "godfather of British spree drinking" by a Labour MPJohn Grogan seats the all-party Parliamentary beer group, which receives funding from breweriesHe used a park debate to push for action against supermarkets selling alcohol below cost priceA Tesco spokesman supposed his comments were "as offensive as they are inaccurate" adding the company had a "leading role" in tackling spree drinking

Mr Grogan's commentary came as MPs debated the health consequences of the availability of cheap alcoholThe Selby MP, a longstanding supporter of the pub trade, said: "It is with be sorry I say this, but I do actually want to charge Terence Leahy, the boss of Tesco, as being the godfather of British binge drinking"He said Competition Commission research showed Tesco, Britain's main superstore group, had underpriced beer and lager during last year's earth Cup by £151m

We remain concerned about the practice by shops and supermarkets of bottomless discounting promotions - often as loss best and below cost price of alcoholic productsAnd he claimed the supermarket giants carried on the practice of advertising alcohol below price price "all the time""We are talking about advertising alcohol below the cost of water It isn't baked beans There has to be a little bit of a different approach," said Mr Grogan

Sir Terry and other supermarket chiefs met Prime priest Gordon Brown last week for an "alcohol summit" in Downing StreetBut Mr Grogan said they had not come up with any serious proposals to address the physical condition problems caused by binge drinkingHe backed calls by Barnsley MP Eric Illsley, made previous in the debate, for supermarkets to follow the inn trade by establishing a code of practice to "outlaw reckless promotions"Mr Grogan told MPs: "Sir Terence Leahy must address this subject

They must stop putting their heads in the rub down, the big supermarket bosses We want some leadership from these very powerful individuals"A Tesco spokesman supposed Mr Grogan's comments did "nothing to inform the serious communal debate on binge drinking""Alcohol abuse is of route a serious concern to us all and we are playing a leading role in the efforts to tackle it

"We also know people be inclined to store up on beers and wines for home use during promotional periods and as a result buy less at other times"Opening the debate earlier in the park, Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said shops selling cheap alcohol could countenance new lawsHe told MPs: "We stay concerned about the practice by shops and supermarkets of bottomless discounting promotions - often as loss leaders and below cost cost of alcoholic products"Ministers have ordered an independent appraisal, due to report next summer, into the relationship between pricing and endorsement of alcohol and the harm to health

"It's in all of our interests to decrease the harm to health and the costs to civilization of excessive alcohol use, while avoiding unnecessary or nannyish restrictions to adults who wish to take pleasure in a legal product"Mr Bradshaw said the government was particularly worried about drinking by young people under 18; 18 to 24-year-old "binge" drinkers and big "harmful" drinkersDowning Street supposed the issue of pricing was raised at Mr Brown's recent alcohol peak, but the prime minister's official spokesman said:

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