MPs table motion for full liquid pint

by Ewan Turney

MPs have tabled an early day motion calling for the introduction of full-pint legislation.

The motion, put forward by Labour MP Dennis Turner and backed by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), had already clocked up 121 signatories prior to the Christmas recess. Government proposals on forthcoming weights and measures legislation would see a pint redefined as "not less than 95% liquid" but Turner's motion claims this would make matters even worse. He wants a pint of beer defined as 100% liquid.

The motion reads: "The Campaign for Real Ale, the Trading Standards Institute and the Local Authority Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services believe that this proposal will result in the proposed 5% tolerance being added to the existing deficiency threshold normally applied by enforcement agencies before considering prosecution action, which will result in licensees being able to serve pints of substantially less than 95% liquid."

Camra estimates that currently nine in 10 pints are short measures and that one in four pints are more than 5% short, which costs consumers around £400m a year or in excess of £1m a day. Turner's motion added: "This is the only piece of weights and measures legislation that is not on the statute book to protect consumers. Over 15 million beer drinkers lose out because of short measure."

Camra chief executive Mike Benner added: "The Govern-ment has promised to protect consumers from short beer measures, but the proposal for a 95% pint will have the opposite effect. Camra members will be lobbying MPs to get behind the campaign for an Honest Pint Law."