Pubco/tenant relationship heads for Parliamentary debate
On Thursday, BIS is due to issue its response to the report recommendations, which included calls for a statutory code of practice backed up by a full suite of sanctions.
BISC chair and Labour MP Adrian Bailey, along with pub campaigning MP Greg Mulholland met with the Backbench Business Committee earlier this week to call for a full scale debate on floor of the House of Commons.
Speaking at the All-Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group rally held in the House of Commons last night - which was attended by over 80 people including CAMRA members, licensees, interest groups and MPs - Bailey said: “We can’t place a motion until we know what the Government response is, but whether it is favourable or hostile, there are issues that have to be debated publicly.
“The committee has asked me to come back next Tuesday when we have the outcome of the Government response and have the opportunity to grant a motion that could be put forward before the house. That will be taken probably on Tuesday, December 6. We wanted a Tuesday in the house as there will be more MPs as we are going for a vote on this as well.”
He called for the Government to take action on the BISC recommendations claiming that it had already committed to reform. He urged licensees to “galvanise” their local MPs to attend the debate in the House of Commons on the 6 December.
“This is the best window for action we have had so far and if we don’t take it the message will go back that Parliament is prepared to stand by irreverent and uncommitted to a situation that we know is profoundly damaging to the industry.”
CAMRA chief executive Mike Benner agreed: “The new voluntary codes of practice introduced by many of the pubcos lack a legal force, lack coherence and lack an effective system of redress and they fail to enable smaller businesses to thrive.
"Enough is enough, this has gone on for long enough. We have been talking about this since 2004 though four select committees. We implore Government to start the process of change.”
