A pub boss has vented his frustration over the government's handling of the smoking ban in the white paper.
Speaking at the launch of a customer consultation in his pubs, Union Pub Company (UPC) managing director Stephen Oliver, accused the government of making the issue of a ban "more confusing".
It had been hoped the white paper, published last month, would provide a firm idea of what will happen with the ban but Mr Oliver, like many in the trade, was left disappointed with the two paragraphs in the document that covered the issue.
"I've become deeply suspicious of the government's ability to work on this," said Mr Oliver. "There is no detail in the white paper and what is a big concern is that they could still hand this over to local authorities.
"The trade needs to now work very hard to determine the details of a ban. It's good news that we have time but the only way forward in my mind is to convince government that separate smoking rooms or designated times are ways to protect certain endangered pubs.
"If we don't those pubs that rely on only a moderate amount of food to keep trade going will suffer."
Mr Oliver voiced his concerns after an open forum to launch a customer ballot on smoking, held by UPC at the Foresters pub in Yoxall, Staffordshire.
During the forum licensees were able to discuss many of the unanswered questions about the white paper with Mr Oliver and AIR director Oliver Griffiths, and look at what it could mean for their individual businesses.
Jeff Thomas, licensee at the Foresters, said: "It's down to licensees and pub companies to decide what's best for their businesses. As we run a food-pub, the issue isn't particularly important to us. The majority of our diners don't want to eat in a smoke-filled atmosphere."
Phil Strong of The Bull's Head in Uttoxeter, Staffs, a pub which serves drinks only, said: "My business relies wholly on drinkers, many of whom enjoy a smoke with their pint. We will move towards improving the quality of the air in the pub through better ventilation and smoke extraction."
Ian Dunlop of the Three Horseshoes in Barton, Staffs, felt it was good to be able to sit down and talk about the implications a ban may bring.
He added: "I have been talking to my customers about the issue, and there are a lot of mixed views. Many of the 'social smokers' would be happy with a ban, as it might help them give up, while others are happy to keep things as they are.
"But the problem is that no one really knows what's going on, so the government needs to clarify its intentions."
Pictured l-r: AIR's Oliver Griffiths, UPC MD Stephen Oliver and Jeff Thomas, licensee of the Forester's Arms, Yoxall.