'Licensing minister warns government over pub closures'

"The rapid decline of British pubs will accelerate unless the government does more to support them, the minister in charge of licensing has warned. Days after Alistair Darling raised duty on beer by eight per cent, Gerry Sutcliffe, the licensing minister and a long-standing supporter of the industry, said that while ministers were right to encourage responsible drinking, they should be aware of the negative effects that wider policy was having. 'We have to make sure we are aware of the impact of what we do and that we support community pubs,' he said. 'Otherwise many more could close.' Sutcliffe is one of several ministers who have urged Gordon Brown to take the pressure off publicans by banning supermarkets from selling cheap alcohol." - Observer​

"Measures to help cut smoking and drinking are expected to be shelved this week because of fears they will alienate voters during the recession. Ministers have decided they cannot justify some of the more draconian measures to reduce cigarette and alcohol sales during the economic downturn. A proposed ban on shops displaying tobacco, and steps to force tobacco manufacturers to remove logos from cigarette packs are expected to be abandoned, along with proposals to stop supermarkets discounting alcohol." - Sunday Times ​

"Drinkers will be encouraged to play with children's bubble blowers instead of picking fights, in a scheme to start next month in Bolton. Police will hand out the free toys as young people pour out of pubs and clubs in typically boisterous mood. But the initiative has been condemned as a 'nursery school gimmick' and a waste of taxpayers' money." - Observer​

"Marstons, the brewer and pubs operator, is this week likely to become the latest leisure group to pass its dividend as companies look to conserve cash during the recession which analysts believe will accelerate the closure of thousands of pubs." - Sunday Telegraph​

"Scottish & Newcastle is to end its traditional Christmas policy of giving employees £30-worth of drinks tokens, blaming economic conditions and the rise in numbers of those eligible to recieve them." - Observer​

Speaking about the Chancellor's pre-Budget Report, Tim Martin, chairman and founder of pub group JD Wetherspoon, said: "Everyone knows that the root of the problems is excessive borrowing. What worries me is that the solution that's been proposed to solve the problem is more borrowing, on a quite unprecedented scale. I hope what they are doing works, I really do, but I worry they may be storing up trouble for the future." - Sunday Times​

"The former Scottish & Newcastle boss, John Dunsmore, is to receive a shares bonanaza worth millions of pounds if he restores the ailing Magners cider-maker C&C' share price to a level far below where it was trading just six months ago." - Sunday Telegraph​

And finally…

Twelve people have died from drinking poisoned home-made booze this week in Iran's port city of Bandar Abbas in defiance of a ban on alcohol consumption, state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday. The first fatalities were announced on Thursday, when four people were said to have died and dozens more became ill from drinking spirits containing methanol. - AFP news agency​