Beda chief slams smoking 'shambles'

Trade group leader Paul Kinsey has slammed the mounting volume of regulation being heaped on the industry, culminating in the "shambolic" lead-in to next summer's smoking ban.

Bar Entertainment & Dance Association (Beda) chairman Kinsey said the leisure industry was being forced to set aside a colossal £750m to meet legislative requirements of a ban which still had to be fine-tuned by Whitehall.

Kinsey, boss of nightclub operator Nexum Leisure, said the industry was being forced to work in the dark because vital guidance notes to the new Act had still to be published by the Department of Health.

"Whether you agree with this ban or not, the fact remains that it has been introduced in a rush and without much real thought," Kinsey told guests attending Beda's annual awards night.

"Most professional companies plan their financial strategy two years ahead, but now they are expected to commit funds for capital schemes to meet requirements of legislation which could be only six or nine months away and lacks precise detail of what will be required.

"We do not even have a date for implementation of the ban, never mind any guidance notes.

"The government demands that our industry behaves in a professional way but cannot adopt this new legislation in a professional way itself."

Kinsey added: "Operators within our industry will have to spend an estimated £750m on capital schemes, simply

to retain their commercial position.

"Nexum alone will probably have to spend between £500,000 and £750,000 putting in new facilities at its 13 outlets."

Kinsey claimed the industry was being over-regulated with 148 pieces of new legislation introduced over the last 10 years.

"It is costing us a tremendous amount of money and deflecting from the real job of running our industry to make a profit," he said.