News: January 2012

The House of Commons has unanimously passed a motion tabled by the Business Skills & Innovation Committee (BISC) calling for the Government to toughen up its stance on pub company operating procedures.

Last year, the Government ignored advice from the BISC that a statutory code of practice should be set up for the pub industry and opted instead for a voluntary code. Now, MPs have expressed their disagreement with this and voted for the Government to set up an independent body to oversee the progress pub companies are making.

If the body is unhappy with developments, it will be expected to press for legal changes to ensure fairness in the pub company sector, where guest beer and rent arrangements for lessees remain at the top of the agenda.