The Scottish Parliament's Health Committee has backed action to tackle Scotland's relationship with alcohol.

The Committee report recognises the legality of minimum pricing and recommends Parliament support the bill in a vote before the summer.

Responding to the report SNP Depute Leader and Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon MSP said:

"We're proposing decisive action to tackle Scotland's unhealthy relationship with alcohol.

"I welcome the Health and Sport Committee's support for the principles of the Bill and will give the recommendations careful consideration.

"I'm not prepared to stand by as more and more Scots drink themselves to an early grave as alcohol has become more available and more affordable.

"Scots' consumption has increased and so has the harm caused by alcohol. I look forward to further discussing the principles of this Bill in the stage one debate next month."

Committe member and SNP MSP Michael Matheson added:

“The Committee’s green light for this legislation is welcome and I hope Parliament will follow the Committee’s recommendations and back the bill.

“The Committee’s agreement with the Government’s view that minimum pricing for alcohol is legal and that there is a key connection between price, availability and consumption is a strong step forward and something I hope all parties will now support.

“This report shows that the Government’s plans are about more than minimum pricing and support for a social responsibility fee, action on discount sales and tighter controls on sales to young people through ID schemes is all welcome and will help build a package of measures to tackle our relationship with alcohol.

“There can be no denying that we need to deal with the problem of alcohol in our society, it's social and economic cost, and that what is needed are serious and considered proposals such as those from the Scottish Government, not gimmicks, and I hope all opposition parties will take that approach.”