Booze is a middle-class problem, claims Health Minister

Binge drinking is a middleclass problem, a minister claimed yesterday.

Dawn Primarolo stunned critics by insisting that Labour's 24-hour licensing laws had changed the country's drinking culture.

The Public Health Minister said middle-class couples drinking in the home are now of greater concern than young people spilling out of bars.

This contradicts the latest scientific research, which says round-the-clock licensing has fuelled violent crime and antisocial behaviour and has not introduced a sophisticated Continental-style drinking culture.

The Government is planning to ban shops selling alcohol after 11pm in a review of 24-hour opening set up by Gordon Brown.

But experts warned this would not stop young people simply switching to late-opening pubs.

A report by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics this week dismissed Government claims that relaxing drinking hours would create a cafe culture, with author Lord John Krebs describing a drinking zone in Oxford as "vomit alley".

It warned excessive drinking among the young is a particular concern.

But Miss Primarolo said there has been a change in culture and the report's findings were "frankly ... not the point".

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She told Radio 4's Today programme: "The particular age range is middle-aged, middleclass drinkers drinking at home. That is where the serious and dramatic harm is increasing."

Asked if discounted sales could be banned, she told BBC Breakfast: "We need to firstly make clear what is actually the cause of people increasing drinking.

"And actually the problem is particularly acute in middle-aged, middle-class drinkers."

But Alan Gordon of the Police Federation said 24-hour drinking is causing increasing lawlessness.

He added: "We have to ensure we have sufficient officers 24 hours a day to deal with the increasing minority of people who persistently drink to excess and then cause trouble.

"Our role has been made more difficult as a consequence of an increase in alcohol-related incidents and we would welcome a review of 24-hour licensing."

Frank Soodeen, of Alcohol Concern, said: "What we need to see from the Government is greater pressure on the drinks industry to sell alcohol responsibly.

"There has been a big migration from pubs and bars to shops and supermarkets, so an 11pm limit would change that.

"We need to look at how to empower communities and local authorities to really get to grips with anti-social behaviour, crime and alcohol-fuelled violence."

Tory health spokesman Andrew Lansley said: "This is a Government in disarray.

"They roll out an unpiloted 24-hour drinking law which has put huge pressures on A&E departments due to binge drinking.

"At the same time, they want to downgrade increasingly busy A&E units. It doesn't make sense."