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Pub Guide

Opening Times

Opening Times is distributed to 120 pubs within the Huntingdonshire area. If you are a local CAMRA member and you would like to help distribute Opening Times to pubs near you, please contact the newsletter editor.

Issue 150 Spring 2012

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FAIR DEAL FOR PUBS

MPs unanimously passed a motion in January criticising a lack of government action on pub companies as falling short of their own commitments and requiring an independent review of self-regulation in the pub sector.

The lively debate on the floor of the House of Commons concerned the government’s self-regulation proposals for pub lease arrangements. The government was heavily criticised for rejecting recommendations by the House of Commons Business, Innovations and Skills Committee (BISC) for a statutory code of practice for pub companies.

BISC chairman Adrian Bailey proposed the motion, which asks for the independent review to be conducted this autumn. If a review finds that self-regulation has been ineffective, it is likely to recommend a statutory code of practice.

CAMRA has urged the inclusion of free-of-tie and guest beer options and open market rent reviews in new arrangements, and a statutory code of practice would be expected to include these measures, which have also been supported by organisations including Federation of Small Businesses, Forum for Private Business, licensee groups and the Parliamentary Save the Pub Group.

5000 CAMRA members had asked their local MPs to vote for effective pub industry reform in the debate and CAMRA had urged publicans and consumers to do the same.

After the commons vote, Mike Benner, CAMRA Chief Executive said: ‘CAMRA is delighted that MPs from all parties have highlighted the inadequacy of the government’s attempts to tackle unfair business practices in the pub sector and that the government are now obliged to commission an independent review into the matter. Following the success of this motion the government now has a chance to think again and to consult on meaningful proposals to ensure the survival of many thousands of pubs.

‘The large pub companies must be encouraged to provide their lessees with free-of-tie and guest beer options accompanied by an open market rent review. These steps would effectively self-regulate the operation of tie agreements.

‘The large pub companies have been living in the last chance saloon since 2004, during which time many thousands of valued community pubs have been lost forever while pub companies have failed to deliver meaningful self-regulation.’

The British Beer and Pubs Association expressed its disappointment at the motion, and called instead for cuts in beer taxation, claiming that increased red tape for pubs risks adverse effects on recovery, growth and jobs in the sector.