§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 13 January,Official Report, column 738, if he will publish the information his Department holds on the purchasers of public houses under the Supply of Beer (Tied Estates) Order 1989 (S.I., 1989, No. 2390); and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Neil Hamilton[holding answer 20 January 1993]: As I explained in my answer of 13 January, the statutory undertakings given by the national brewers to provide the Director General of Fair Trading with information to enable him to monitor compliance with the order do not require them to provide details of the purchasers of public houses that are sold. However, my Department is aware of trade press estimates—Publican, 11 January 1993—which suggest that since 1989 the number of pubs owned by independent retailers had increased by 8,000 while regional brewers have purchased a further 3,000 outlets.