You can offer free pints

Following on from your recent answer, would it be legally possible for me to give away pints of beer to certain customers, but not everyone, or announcing that beer would be at 1985 prices, on St George's Day?

I have been told that this idea would fall foul of the current law on prices and price marking, which must be the same for everyone. AAs far as giving away pints of beer is concerned, that is entirely up to you. The law is primarily concerned with the sale of drink during permitted hours, and gifts by the landlord to genuine friends are specifically provided for. If you wish to make a patriotic gesture to some of your customers, then there is nothing in the law to stop you. Care must, however, be exercised in any scheme which involves a discount, or selling a product at more or less than the normal price.

As you may know, consumer legislation has decreed that specimen price lists must be displayed in all bars and the prices charged must comply with the listed prices. You should also be aware of the current policies on "happy hours"​ and discounting, and if there is a local agreement on this, make sure that you do not fall foul of current restrictions. But I can see no reason why you cannot specify or advertise a discount for one evening, or for a period, as a special concession to customers. The object of the law is to prevent overcharging. There is no legal reason why you cannot specify certain drinks or lower prices for an evening, as long as the advertisement makes it quite clear what is happening, and the concession is clearly indicated on the premises.

Can I hold betting on pool?​I have been shown a licensing guide book in which it appears that betting on pool matches is legal in pubs, as it is a game of skill.

Is this accurate?​I thought it often took place, but was technically illegal. It would pay you to be extremely cautious about any form of betting that takes place on licensed premises, and certainly the copy which you have sent me is open to misinterpretation. What may have been intended is to draw a distinction between the playing of games of chance for money, which is controlled by the Gaming Act 1968 and other legislation, and the playing of games of skill for wagers between the participants, which is not controlled in the same way. Games such as darts, snooker, pool, shove ha'penny and skittles are considered games of skill, in which the element of chance is not predominant.So if the opponents bet with each other on their own prowess, this is perfectly in order and the winners may claim the money or drinks which have been wagered on the outcome. What is not covered by this concession is the placing of side bets or the making of a book by a non-participant on the outcome of the game. This certainly constitutes gaming and should be actively discouraged wherever it is encountered. It might be sensible to ban all forms of gaming that have not been authorised by the justices or by the licensee. In this way you can remove the possibility of borderline cases which could land you in court.

Cost of December transfer​

We took over a pub in December last year and I thought the licence lasted for three years. But now we have had a letter saying we failed to renew in February and our licence will expire.

Did we pay £30 just for two months?​ No, you paid £30 for a licence during the three-year period ending on 4 April 2004. Transfers from January onwards gain the benefit of the next period, but you do not. You should have renewed in February.