'Gov as helpful to pubs as Thatcher to miners'
The current Government is as helpful to community pubs as Margaret Thatcher was to the mining industry — that's the blistering attack launched by Lib Dem MP Greg Mulholland.
Pub champion Mulholland, who sat on the executive committee of the Community Pubs Inquiry, called for urgent action following the publication of the its report yesterday.
"When is the Government going to wake up to fact that they are presiding over the death of community pubs," he said.
"As one of my own licensees has said, this Government has been about as helpful to the pub trade as Margaret Thatcher was to the mining industry.
"The report makes clear that over regulation, increases in beer duty, and a failure to tackle supermarket selling practices on alcohol are not only making life difficult or intolerable for many publicans, but are leading to the closure of hundreds of pubs.
"The Government needs to wake up and smell the hops. The Great British pub is part of our heritage in this country and I hope this report will serve as a stark warning that unless the Government changes its policies, we will lose many more of these valuable community assets".
The main recommendations of the report are:
• Beer price differentials: The Treasury must look at the wider impact of beer duty before imposing any more increases on community pubs. The inquiry recommends a reduced rate of duty and/or VAT on draught beer to reverse the trend away from drinking in public places or getting "tanked up" at home before a night out.
• AWP machines: The Government should increase AWP stakes and prizes and abolish gaming duty for the first fruit machine in each pub.
• Diversification for community pubs needs to be made simpler: Pubs need better access to funding, finance and advice for diversification. Government support is needed to spread best practice through Pub is the Hub. Better guidance is also needed to ensure local authorities understand and support pubs' needs in the planning process and evaluate community contribution as part of planning proposals.
• Simplify licensing: The inquiry concludes that the licensing process needs to be made simpler and cheaper. The spirit of the Licensing Act needs reinforcing to local authorities, with a code of practice to spread best practice in enforcement and to ensure costly and inappropriate conditions are not placed on licensees.
• Rate relief: rate relief and rateable values need revising to make sure all community pubs can be rewarded for their community contribution through a discount to their rates, and the rating appeals process must be made more accessible.
• Funding training: Licensees should be given greater access to funded training to allow them to develop the necessary business skills to diversify successfully.
More on Community Pubs Inquiry Report
• Act now to save our locals.
• Community Pubs report a 'big step forward'.
• Download the Community Pubs Inquiry Report .
