Welsh ban preparation time 'very short'

Licensees in Wales will have less than 10 weeks to prepare for the smoking ban once the final guidelines are released.

The Welsh Assembly has said it will take until 24 January before the final guidelines are ready for the ban, which starts on 2 April.

SA Brains' retail director Philip Lay was told the news on monday at a meeting with the Task and Finish group, which includes trade bodies, council representatives and others looking at practical issues around the ban's implementation.

The guidelines will define what kind of smoking shelters will be acceptable outside pubs.

Venues that fit structures before 24 January could be forced to scrap or alter them if they don't comply.

"I made the point that the time had to prepare was very short," said Lay.

He also said that local authority groups are planning to draw up a series of protocols relating to how the ban will be enforced in Wales. This will be revealed to the Task and Finish group at another meeting next month.

"The over-riding thing that came through was that we need to make sure the Act is enforced in an even-handed manner," said Lay.

Licensed Victuallers Wales secretary John Price, who also attended the meeting, said: "They haven't made up their minds what kind of canopies we can put up and what kind of planning permission we will need.

"They are dragging their feet. We have asked them to extend [the ban's start date] to the summer to give us a chance."

A Welsh Assembly spokesman said the draft guidelines will go before the Health and Social Services Committee for scrutiny on 30 November and "final regulations will be published early in 2007".