Plans to stop supermarkets selling alcohol at below cost price are to be published within weeks.
However, the proposals rule out the unit pricing for alcohol favoured by many doctors.
Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, the former chief medical officer, had suggested a minimum of 50p per unit, which would increase the price of a bottle of wine to at least ?4.50 and the average six-pack of lager to ?6.00.
Price ban: The Government plans to stop supermarkets from selling alcohol at below cost priceThe plans follow accusations that Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons fuel binge-drinking by using beer as a loss leader to tempt shoppers.
Deals have included offers of less than 69p a pint on beer, makingit cheaper than some bottled waters.
The Coalition has identified four options for outlawing deals considered irresponsible by doctors and police chiefs.
- One would ban stores selling drink at below the cost of duty and VAT.
- Another adds in a value for the cost of production, distribution and marketing.
- A third would ban sales below the cost of the wholesale invoice sent to retailers.
- The fourth would suspend competition law that outlaws collusion between firms allowing retailers to decide a fair price.
The options will be presented in a consultation document in early August.
Details are revealed today by The Grocer magazine. Editor Adam Leyland said: 'Banning so-called below cost sales of alcohol sounds simple, but in reality it will be incredibly difficult to gain a consensus. No one can agree what the cost really is.'
Carlsberg UK chief executive Isaac Sheps told the magazine: 'If you go only on duty and VAT, it's easier to control because this is a number nobody can mess with.'
But Mark Hunter, of brewing firm Molson Coors, said the cost of production must be included if the law is to have any impact.
The Home Office said it was committed to banning the sale of alcohol below cost-price.
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