With the news yesterday (Wednesday) that the Beer Orders that have controlled the pub industry for more than a decade are to be revoked by the Government, industry figures have been giving us their comments:
"The Beer Orders have become a bit of a mockery and in a way revocation is the only way to start again - but there should be competition guidelines brought out. People should have parameters to work to."Bill Sharp, the National Parliamentary Committee of licensees
"Last year they removed the pub ceiling of 2,000 on the industry so this was really a piece of bureaucratic tidying-up. We regard it as a good thing. It enables us to acquire bigger packages of pubs. It was always a little unfair in favour of the specialist operators who could buy whatever they wished. It now means the market is open, as it should be."Neil Gillis, managing director of Greene King Pub Company
"It seems the Government has caught up with how the industry has restructured itself over the years. The commercial reality has moved on and the advantage of offering a wider choice of beer to the public has become clear. Well done to the Government - eventually."Nick Bish, chief executive, the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers
"It's a completely backwards step. A pub company with 5,000 pubs could offer licensees just one beer, the situation could be worse than it was originally. It will take away the rights of free traders. I wrote to the Office of Fair Trading and said that tying licensees would restrict consumer choice and could increase prices."Tony Payne, chief executive, the Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations
"The Beer Orders have failed completely. The market share of the remaining four major brewers is now even larger than the six original brewers the Orders were aimed at. Now the Beer Orders have gone, a major pubco could buy a brewery and we'd be back to the position we were in in 1989."Michael Turner, managing director, Fuller's brewery
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