Fair Pint: talks no substitute for inquiry

A negotiated agreement for reform should not be seen as an alternative to a full Competition Commission inquiry, Fair Pint has said.

The anti pubco group was responding to calls by the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) for six months to hammer out changes in the tied pub model rather than face the uncertainty of an inquiry.

Fair Pint is still considering whether it should attend crunch talks on reform to be hosted by the ALMR on 18 June.

"A Competition Commission investigation is the best hope of seeing changes to the industry which will lead to material improvements to the interests of tenants," said Fair Pint founding member Steve Corbett.

"Whilst we welcome the ALMR genuine attempts to agree to a solution to the problems identified by the Business and Enterprise Select Committee we are concerned that some of the potential participants in the arbitration scheme are motivated by an attempt to delay a Competition Commission inquiry rather than a genuine desire to agree to a compromise, which would secure the long term future of the industry."

Fair Pint disputes the ALMR view that a Competition Commission inquiry could take two years and said the industry run solution could feed back to the Commission on suggested reforms.

Clive Davenport, trade and industry chairman for the Federation of Small Businesses, added: "The danger to the industry doesn't come from a proper review of its structures from the competition authorities, but from those forces who wish to defend the status quo.

"The pitiful response of the industry to the concerns which were raised in the 2004 Trade and Industry Select Committee report means that we have serious doubts about the willingness of big players in the industry to volunteer to put their own house in order."