Trade bosses: pubs are responsible

Trade leaders have defended pubs against accusations from MPs that they are acting irresponsibly.

Pubs were accused of encouraging drunkeness through drinks promotions and irresponsible sales during a hearing on the Licensing Act by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

Liberal Democrat MP Adrian Sanders said: "Don¹t use the excuse that the supermarkets do it. The fact is your industry does very cheap deals in alcohol; you do volumes sales and that¹s not responsible in my opinion."

British Beer & Pub Association chief executive Rob Hayward said: "We are refusing one million serves per month for underage drinking and other reasons. There's still more to be done and no-one is complacent."

He explained that the BBPA's code on responsible promotions had to be withdrawn over fears it breached competition laws. But the trade leaders stated their opposition to deals such as all-inclusives and ones that encourage speed-drinking.

BBPA director of pubs and leisure Martin Rawlings said there is "no evidence" that happy hours cause problems.

Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers chief executive Nick Bish said: "We feel we are very much on the case but there¹s a lot to do."

BII chief executive John McNamara pointed to the "positive impact" of Business Improvement Districts and the Best Bar None pub and club accreditation scheme, which currently operates in 88 towns and cities across the UK.

"There is a positive example of how we can work at a local level, and it is working. The Act has helped to create that environment where different groups can come together."

On accusations that pubs serve to drunks, McNamara said: "The vast majority of licensed premises in this country are very well run and well regulated.

"We totally support full enforcement of the Act and full use of the powers within it to close those premises."

Hayward said the Act allows councils to make a judgment on whether a particular promotion is irresponsible based on the individual circumstances.

He said it was "dangerous" for authorities to have a blanket policy banning certain promotions.

He expressed "regret" that there had not yet been a shift in ages of people going to pubs and bars later at night following the Act's introduction, but called for better transport links to encourage this to happen.

Live music​

Elsewhere, trade leaders bemoaned the end of the the two-in-a-bar rule for live music under the Act.

Bish said music expenditure at ALMR-member venues had fallen 19% after the allowance was scrapped and called for a "re-examination" of live music licensing.

Rawlings slated the fact live music entitlement at pubs could not be carried across from the previous licensing regime.

"We now have a lot of pubs that can¹t just put on small, cosy events; they would have to get permission. The problem now is they would have to apply under the variations process, which is expensive."

Rawlings said that the average cost of a licence application or variation was now £1,860 while Bish estimated that a single licence fee date, electronic submissions and dropping the need to advertise applications in local papers would save the industry £20-25m.

Feargal Sharkey of the Live Music Forum said it would be more "proportionate" to remove live music legislation from the Licensing Act in favour of more "sympathetic" stand alone legislation.

At the very least, he said, there should be a fast track application process for those wishing to add live music to their licence and an exemption for venues with a capacity of under 200.