§ Mr. WareingTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what the mechanism is for monitoring the beer orders; how he obtains the necessary information in order to carry out such monitoring; and when he intends to review their operation.
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§ Mr. Neil Hamilton[holding answer 7 July 1994]: As the hon. Member is aware, monitoring compliance with the Beer Orders is the responsibility of the Director General of Fair Trading. The five major brewers who are subject to the Supply of Beer (Loan Ties, Licensed Premises and Wholesale Prices) Order 1989 and the Supply of Beer (Tied Estate) Order 1989—the "Beer Orders"—gave undertakings to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to supply detailed information each year about the composition of their estates in order to allow the DGFT to determine whether the number of tied premises is within the maximum permitted by the Tied Estate Order. The details provided are independently audited.
In the case of the other provisions of the Beer Orders, including the guest beer requirement, the Office of Fair Trading is reliant on complaints to identify possible breaches by the brewers. All complaints are carefully examined.
There are no plans at present to ask the DGFT to conduct a special review of the operation of the orders beyond his normal monitoring role.