HL Deb 16 March 1989 vol 505 c447WA
Lord Mason of Barnsley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they are taking to ensure the application of the code of practice agreed with the licensed trade and the Brewers' Society on the sale of wine by the glass; whether they have evidence of widespread breaches of the code by the trade, particularly concerning the display of the price at which and the measures in which wine is offered for sale; and if so whether they intend to introduce legislation to protect the consumer; and

Whether, in the light of the survey by the Trading Standards Administration which suggested that the majority of the licensed trade are ignoring the code of practice agreed between the Government and the trade, they intend to take action to remedy the situation; and

Whether they intend to act upon the finding of the Institute of Trading Standards that there is no correlation between the price of a glass of wine and its quantity or quality.

The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Lord Young of Graffham)

Surveys conducted by individual local authorities since the last national survey in 1987 co-ordinated by the Institute of Trading Standards Administration continue to show an increasing level of compliance with the Voluntary Code of Practice for Sales of Still Table Wines by the Glass.

I have no present plans to introduce legislation.