Pressure builds over full pint campaign

Pressure for legislation to force licensees to serve 100 per cent full pints is growing, with close to 300 MPs now pledging their support for a House of Commons motion addressing the issue.

Tabled by Labour MP Dennis Turner (Wolverhampton South East) and backed by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), the motion calls on the government to introduce a 100 per cent full pint measure as law in a new Weights & Measures Act.

The motion, seen as an obvious pre-election vote winner, has been signed by 284 MPs and is currently the third most popular in the House.

It is looking increasingly likely that the level of support will add further pressure to officials at the DTI to bring in legislation.

This is a blow to the trade, which won its fight against such a move in March 2002, arguing that it would be unworkable and could drive up the cost of a pint.

Iain Loe, research and information manager at CAMRA, said: "We think this motion will put more pressure on the DTI. It is time that the government stopped shilly-shallying.

"If this legislation does come forward we will be expecting the support of the MPs who have signed this motion in Parliament."

Rick Robinson, licensee of the Willoughby Arms in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, believes the government would need to clarify exactly what a 100 per cent pint is.

He said: "I always give 100 per cent or my customers will go elsewhere. The legislation will lead to confusion. What is a 100 per cent pint? Is it one with a 1/4 inch head? It differs from beer to beer."

A spokesman for the DTI said it was considering the issue of the full pint in relation to the three consultations between 1999 and 2002, although it would not be drawn on the Parliamentary motion.

CAMRA, the Trading Standards Institute and the local authorities co-ordinating body LACORS believe new legislation would ensure that consumers were not being served short measures.