Minister hears more on pubco power

Members of the All Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group have met with consumer minister Kevin Brennan MP to discuss the power of the pub companies.

Group chairman Greg Mulholland MP, was joined by Tory Brian Binley and Labour's David Drew at Tuesday's meeting.

Mulholland said: "We had a positive meeting and I feel that the minister is aware of the issues and the growing pressure to seriously reform the industry.

"It is clear that the industry cannot reform itself and the so called UK Pub Industry code published by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) is nothing of the sort, it is a non-binding code that applies only to the BBPA's own members, the big pub companies and breweries.

"So that means that the government will need to consider acting once the Office of Fair Trading has concluded its investigation.

Mulholland added that he is urging licensees to submit evidence to the OFT regarding the beer tie after it re-opened its probe into the issue.