Public Houses (Hansard, 14 June 1994)

§ Mr. David Porter
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to encourage the prosperity of British public houses; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Neil Hamilton
The Government have taken a wide range of measures to improve the commercial framework in which all firms, including public houses, operate. A number of these were described in the White Paper "Competitiveness: Helping Business to Win"—Cm 2563.

§ Mr. David Porter
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what investigations his Department is undertaking into the issues raised by publicans in the lobby of Parliament on 11 May about upward-only rent clauses, the public house tie, and the enforcement of the beer orders; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Neil Hamilton
I am fully aware of the principal issues raised by licensees at the recent lobby and shall be meeting a number of publicans soon to discuss these further.
426W
The beer supply tie is a contractual arrangement which has existed for many years, and I have no plans at present to take any action in this area. The United Kingdom will of course participate fully in any review of EC regulation 1984–83, the beer block exemption, when this is carried out.
Enforcement of the beer orders is the responsibility of the Director General of Fair Trading, and his staff continue to monitor compliance. Any complaints received are carefully examined for evidence of any breaches of the orders.
As a landlord and tenant matter, upward-only rent reviews are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.