MANIFESTO FOR THE BRITISH PUB

That this House believes that a real manifesto is needed to support and preserve the pub which must include all the main issues and problems currently facing pubs; notes the main areas of focus of the Parliamentary Save the Pub group include reform of planning law to protect the pub, outlawing the practice of restrictive covenants, reductions in beer duty, measures to deal with unacceptably low supermarket beer pricing, reform of the current model of the tie as operated by some pub companies' covenants and other measures; further notes the British Beer and Pub Association's (BBPA) recently launched campaign and manifesto The Life and Soul of Britain's Communities, and supports the majority of its aims, but believes that this is only a partial manifesto and is disappointed that the manifesto deliberately omits some issues which, whilst of critical importance to preserving and supporting pubs, are not in the interests of some of the BBPA's members, who include big pub-owning companies that are responsible for closing many pubs; believes that a real manifesto would include reform of the tied system to make it fair and transparent, reform of planning law to protect the pub and to give communities a say over their future and a ban on restrictive covenants; urges all other trade associations to bring forward a real manifesto including all the important issues; and calls on all pub-supporting hon. Members and peers to support all these measures and not only those in the BBPA campaign.