Minister fails to reassure the trade on AWPs
The minister for gambling has moved to reassure pubs over fears that they could be forced to give up their AWP machines.
Lord McIntosh told this week's Business in Sport and Leisure (BISL) conference that licensees would be able to keep existing AWP machines on their premises under the new gambling regime.
New pubs will continue to have the right to install two of the machines should they wish to do so.
The minister said that despite the trade's concerns over the lack of provision in the Bill regarding grandfather rights for pubs with machines, no provision of the kind was actually needed.
Instead, the rights would be laid down in secondary legislation.
"There has also been concern raised about the right to install two AWP machines in new pubs and I can confirm that it is still our intention to allow this - if we need to we will clarify this point in the Bill," he added.
Lord McIntosh's comments follow widespread disquiet that the Bill could be used to erode the number of AWP machines within the pub sector.
Speaking during a panel debate at the BISL conference, John Appleton from Mitchells & Butlers welcomed the minister's comments.
However, he added: "Until we are absolutely sure the wording of this Bill reflects these intentions uncertainty remains - and as we all know uncertainty is an expensive commodity for businesses."
He said that income from AWPs was vital to many pubs, and any erosion of machine use rights could threaten up to 1,000 pub businesses across the UK.
Martin Rawlings, director of pubs and leisure at the British Beer & Pub Association, who was in the audience at the BISL conference, said: "We welcome the idea that the government has recognised there is a problem and is acting to address it.
"However, with regard to grandfather rights the minister was implying that they would be set out in secondary legislation and we would far rather see them on the face of the Bill itself."
He pointed out that concern also remained about proposals in the Bill to restrict machine rights to those premises where the "primary purpose is the service of alcohol". This could, in theory, exclude food pubs.
The trade expects to have sight of recommended amendments to the Gambling Bill within the next month.
