The Government has unveiled plans to forge new partnerships with the health and police services, the drinks industry, and communities, to combat the range of problems caused by alcohol misuse in England.

Government Response: Cabinet Office

Prime minister Tony Blair said: "Millions of us enjoy drinking alcohol with few if any ill-effects. Indeed, moderate drinking can bring some health benefits. But increasingly, alcohol misuse by a small minority has caused problems: crime and antisocial behaviour in town and city centres, and harm to health as a result of binge- and chronic drinking.

"This strategy aims to target alcohol-related harm and its causes without interfering with the pleasure enjoyed by the millions of people who drink responsibly. I strongly welcome it and the government has accepted all its conclusions.

"It is vital that individuals can make informed and responsible decisions about their own levels of alcohol consumption. Everyone needs to be able to balance their right to enjoy a drink with the potential risks to their own - and others’ - health and wellbeing."

Party Response: Liberal Democrat

Mark Oaten MP Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman  said: "Our towns and city centres have been slipping out of control for six years. The government has got to get its house in order and attack this £20 billion problem at its root instead of running scared of the alcohol industry.

"Alcohol abuse is far more widespread than the abuse of illegal drugs, and the effects on society are just as damaging. We need much better enforcement of the existing law against serving alcohol to people who are already drunk and disorderly.

"It is time for pubs and clubs to make a financial contribution to the cost of policing alcohol-fuelled disorder."

Party Response: Conservatives

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis MP said: “The government are right to identify alcohol related violence as a major problem - but their alcohol strategy is a sham. Voluntary measures are merely a prelude to a compulsory levy on pubs and breweries after the next election.

“This alcohol strategy is also an admission that the government's measures to cut crime and anti-social behaviour have failed, and an admission that the government's own Licensing Act didn't recognise the problem large numbers of pubs are causing in residential areas.