Scottish Ministerial Advisory Committee on Alcohol Problems
The Scottish Ministerial Advisory Committee on Alcohol Problems established in 2004, is a Departmental advisory committee. Formerly chaired by Labour's Tom McCabe, in his capacity as Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care. The new chair of the committee, following Labour's election defeat is Shona Robison SNP Minister for public health. The Committee meets 3 or 4 times a year, with the next meeting scheduled for the 2nd October 2007. This meeting will be the first to be chaired by a member of the SNP executive. The role of the committee is to "Advise the Scottish Executive on policy, priorities and strategic planning in relation to tackling alcohol misuse in Scotland." [1]
The committee focuses on specific Scottish themes and undertakes (via the Secretariat) work on topics of particular concern or specific relevance to Scotland. It is a platform for dissemination of best practice, establishes funding priorities, identifies gaps in research.
Members
- Shona Robison, MSP, Minister for Public Health, (Chair)
- Professor Peter Donnelly, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, (Deputy Chair)
- Dr Andrew Fraser, Head of Health, Scottish Prison Service
- Jack Law, Chief Executive, Alcohol Focus Scotland
- Jean Coussins, Former Director of The Portman Group, now Director of Alcohol Education and Research Council
- Dr Charles Lind, Clinical Director of Addictions, Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust
- Tim Huntingford, Chief Executive, West Dunbartonshire Council
- Paul Waterson, Chairman, Scottish Licensed Trade Association
- Professor Peter Brunt, Consultant Physician, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
- Cllr. Douglas Kerr, Chair, Edinburgh Licensing Board
- Ian Davidson, Community Nurse Alcohol Problems, Bangor Village Hospital
- Sheriff John P. Herald
- Dr Dean Marshall, General Practitioner
- Charles Steel, Independent Addictions Consultant
- Marcus Liddle, Chief Executive, Young Scot
- Malcolm Dickson, Assistant Chief Constable, Lothian & Borders Police
- Jacqui Watt, Executive Director - Community Services, Shetland Islands Council
- Kieran Simpson, Public Affairs Manager, Scottish & Newcastle
- Sandra Maguire, Chief Executive, Fife Alcohol Advisory Service
- Dr Laurence Gruer, Consultant in Public Medicine, NHS Health Scotland
- David Kellock, Deputy Director (Operations), Church of Scotland Board of Social Responsibility
- Dr Maggie Watts, Chair, Scottish Association of Alcohol Action Teams
Former Members
- Tom McCabe the former Deputy Health Minister was the first chair of this committee, which was established by the former Labour administration in Edinburgh.
Also see Partnership Agreement: Scottish Executive and the Alcohol Industry
