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Greg Mulholland-Working Hard For Leeds North WestSave the Pub Group: Licensing Act proposals need to acknowledge value of community pubs
July 28, 2010 4:00 PM
In response to proposed changes to the Licensing Act, Greg Mulholland MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group, has requested a meeting with Home Office Minister James Brokenshire MP.
Whilst the group is encouraged by a proposed ban on below-cost alcohol sales, it believes the pub industry will be unfairly hurt by other proposed changes, including more stringent restrictions on temporary event notices and a late-night levy.
Greg wrote to Mr. Brokenshire earlier this month voicing the Save the Pub Group's view that community pubs should be exempted from this.
Commenting Greg said:
"I share the sentiment behind these proposals that we must crack down on alcohol-related crime. But the proposals fail to differentiate between those places that have a reputation for trouble and the thousands of community pubs that serve their communities without any such problems.
"It is high time the importance of community pubs is actually recognised by Government. As controlled, sociable places for people to enjoy a drink, they are part of the solution to antisocial drinking.
"Yet sadly it seems that successive Governments, despite paying lip service to this, continue to lump all licensed premises together. This has to stop or Ministers risk making the problems worse by threatening those very places that offer an alternative to the antisocial binge drinking that causes disorder.
"This situation clearly demonstrates the need for a pubs minister who can work across departments to facilitate well-developed policies and ensure that community pubs start to be recognised as hugely important in Government thinking."
Commenting CAMRA Chief Executive Mike Benner said:
"The introduction of a flexible licensing system in 2005 successfully increased consumer choice whilst simultaneously giving greater powers to communities to object to poorly run premises.
"We hope that the new Government will build on the success of these changes which have enabled many thousands of community pubs to open slightly later on Friday and Saturday nights.
"CAMRA looks forward to submitting evidence showing the positive impact of the 2005 licensing changes, debunking the myth that has grown up surrounding 24 hour drinking and to opposing any changes which may unfairly penalise responsible drinkers and community pubs."
Commenting Save the Pub Vice-Chair Brian Binley MP said:
"I welcome Theresa May's comments calling for the introduction of a below cost ban on alcohol sales- it will help. However, the issue of binge drinking will still remain.
"If the Home Secretary is serious about tackling binge drinking she needs to review the taxation policy on alcohol. Beer has one of the highest rates of tax and yet it has one of the lowest percentages of alcoholic content. We must encourage, through the taxation system, people to drink lower strength drinks to tackle this problem."
Ends
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