Hopes for 36-hour opening in pubs this new year are already a "lost cause" according to a leading government adviser.
Speaking at the British Institute of Innkeeping's annual lunch this week (July 23), Lord Haskins (pictured), head of the Better Regulation Task Force, told trade leaders it was his view that political wrangling had already delayed the deregulation order too long. His comments follow news earlier this month that the process has suffered a set back after ministers failed to agree the membership of the committee needed to approve it (See Government dispute could thwart extended new year opening (18 July 2001)for full details).
Lord Haskins blamed the delay on ministers, saying: "With all the absurd shilly-shallying about new year opening hours it seems to me that the case has been lost through bungling democracy."
But he leant his support to calls for licensing reform to be brought forward through a deregulation order, bypassing the need for primary legislation.
He said the task force had written to ministers expressing concern at their decision not to take the reform bill forward in the Queen's Speech. He said: "There is plenty of scope under the Regulatory Reform Act for about 80 per cent of what we wanted to be taken forward without the need for primary legislation."
Lord Haskins was also critical of the Government's failure to offer support to struggling rural pubs hit by the foot-and-mouth crisis, while farmers have already received substantial compensation.
He called on ministers to help the tourism industry beat the crisis. "New policy must enhance the vitality of rural communities," he said. "My advice to ministers would be to think small - if it doesn't work for small businesses then don't do it at all."