BBPA rubbishes CAMRA's full pint support claim

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has rubbished the Campaign for Real Ale's (CAMRA) claim that its full pint initiative is gaining support.

CAMRA said earlier this month its campaign to encourage the Government to introduce a 100 per cent liquid pint law has attracted the backing of the public.

It said more than 2,000 people had sent postcards asking the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to introduce a compulsory 100 per cent liquid pint and, in the first week after the campaign launched, 500 non-CAMRA members had signed its email petition.

But BBPA spokesman Mark Hastings said the numbers were so small in comparison with the drinking public as to be insignificant. "There are 18 million beer drinkers in the UK," he said. "Two thousand postcards represents 0.01 per cent of beer drinkers. Similarly, 500 hits on the website is just 0.003 per cent of beer drinkers."

Mr Hastings said rather than showing the public's support for a full pint law, the numbers instead backed up the BBPA's arguments against such a law.

"The level of customer concern about this issue in no way justifies what would be an extraordinarily complicated piece of red tape," he said.

"Pubs are full of people happily drinking pints. If they do complain the remedy, a top up, is to hand."

He said the BBPA supported introducing a 95 per cent liquid pint law which could be enforced by trading standards officers.

But CAMRA said the BBPA was making a "silly" point. Spokesman Tony Jerome said: "It is obvious we are not going to get 18 million postcards back because we can only afford to get a limited supply printed."

He said the DTI had now received far more than 2,000 postcards and added that the results of a recent CAMRA survey, which found 74 per cent of drinkers wanted a full pint law, spoke for itself.

He said: "I think this supports the consumers' thoughts on the matter of full pints more than coming out with silly arguments about percentages of people who have filled in cards compared to the amount who drink alcohol in the whole of the UK."

The trade fears the introduction of a full pint law could be costly in terms of new glassware and the problem of accidental overfilling by barstaff. It has warned that such cost would have to be passed on to the consumer in the price of a pint.

The DTI is due to make a decision on a full pint law in the next couple of weeks.

Earlier this month both the Leader of the House of Commons, Robin Cook, and Conservative MP Nicholas Winterton lent their support to CAMRA's campaign.

Mr Cook described the issue of short pint measures as being of "great concern" to the UK public and to MPs.

Related stories:​

DTI due to rule on 100 per cent liquid pint (07March 2002)

CAMRA's full pint campaign continues to gather pace (4 March 2002)

Licensee's full pint fight is gaining support (26 February 2002)

CAMRA faces pint challenge from licensee forming own group (7 February 2002)

CAMRA's pint row reaches House of Commons (1 February 2002)

CAMRA goes on full pint attack (25 January 2002)

CAMRA fights on for full pint (17 January 2002)