§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what moves he is making to collect evidence on the way in which Whitbread is using notices to quit to enforce tenancy agreements with licensed victuallers.
§ Mr. RedwoodThe Secretary of State has made it clear that the issuing of notices to quit is not necessarily to comply with the beer orders. He has met Whitbread to urge the company to keep the number of notices to quit to an absolute minimum. The renegotiation of tenancy agreements is of course a commercial matter between the landlords and their tenants. However Whitbread has been asked to keep my Department informed of progress, including about the number of notices it sends to tenants.