BBPA: "We are not complacent

'We are not complacent but judge our performance in two years time' - that was the message from the British Beer & Pub Association's (BBPA's) new chief executive today.

Brigid Simmonds was speaking alongside Marston's pub company managing director Alistair Darby in response to questions from MPs on the reconvened inquiry into pubco power.

In discussing what the industry has achieved since the MPs' previous report slammed the pubco model and highlighted the "abuse" of tenants and lessees, Simmonds pointed to the BBPA'a new code of practice which member companies will all comply with by June next year.

"The BBPA doe not sit here in any way complacent, we take the criticisms of this committee very seriously and we have worked extremely hard to come up with a new industry code," she said,

"It has to be open and tenants have to understand how the system is going to work in the future."

The panel was told that pubcos that repetitively breach the code face losing accreditation from the BII approved scheme and potential legal action. Darby said companies without accreditation would be at a "commercial disadvantage".

Simmonds also apologised to chairman of the panel Peter Luff MP after he revealed how "disappointed" he was with response by some sectors of the industry to the original Business & Enterprise Committee report, which included threats of legal action and criticisms of the evidence used.

He said: "I am not used to being unable to comment on my own reports for fear of litigation."

Simmonds offered a "complete apology for what had happened" and described the attacks on Luff and the report as "unhelpful"

Darby added: "If we are trying to win trust and confidence in the industry then we have to behave with decorum."

He went on to defend the tied model and said clarity and transparency were key factors.

"We can't have a system after the event tenants or lessees says they didn't understand what they had signed up to - that has been an issue."

The pair both went on to defend the beer tie but Darby said he expected to see the use of it "evolve" over the next few years. He added that in his experience the "fundamental" issue raised by tenants and lessees is not the tie itself but "the price they pay for beer"

Simmonds and Darby also outlined details of how the AWP machine tie is changing and explained industry efforts to set up the Pubs Independent Rent Review Scheme.

Simmonds said she wanted two years for the code to be fully up and running before the industry was judged by MPs again but Luff added the panel would "reflect on that offer."