Talking the strain

We asked top industry figures three key questions about the current state of the industry to find out what some of the big players in the business think about the present and the future challenges

What are the biggest issues facing you as a pubco?

Recruitment, training, other people selling cheap beer, new licensing laws and smoking bans ­ Fat Cat Group

Smoking and licensing reform ­ Pleisure

Government interference ­ Hook Norton

Smoking ban, licensing and recruitment ­ Peninsula Inns

Smoking ban ­ Rosemount Taverns

Getting customers back into the pub-going habit ­ George Gale & Co

The rising costs of insurance and energy. Restaurants in Northern Ireland are flouting thelaw and operating as pubs­ Botanic Inns

We need to maximise the opportunity offered by the Licensing Act 2003 and all applications need to be processed effectively by the licensing authorities ­ St Austell Brewery

Smoking ­ Cockerel Inns

Sky ­ Regent Inns

Competition from the take-home trade ­ Newport Pub Company

Disability legislation, health and safety ­ Drystone Inns

The minimum wage ­ Bath Ales

The quality of staff and finding chefs ­ Geronimo Inns

Ability of licensees to make a living ­ Tadcaster Pub Company

Difficulties in recruiting good management couples ­ Old Mill Brewery

Smoking ban, recruitment and legislation ­ Bold Pub Company

Legislation ­ Burton Bridge Brewery

Overcapacity in the high street ­ Inventive Leisure

Improving value for money for our customers ­ McMullen

Government pressure on drinking and associated culture and behaviour ­ Young's

Gaming ­ Hardys & Hansons

Government attitudes towards binge-drinking, vertical drinking and Sky Sport price hikes ­ Honeycombe Leisure

Buying new pubs at sensible prices ­ Brakspear

Declining on-trade volumes ­ SA Brain

Nanny state intervention. A smoking ban (which is inevitable) needs to be well thought through and clearly communicated ­ Sovereign Inns

The extra legislation placed on to the small business will deter entrepreneurs, making the recruitment of tenants more difficult ­ Trust Inns

What single factor (positive or negative) would make a difference to your business?

Freedom from beer ties ­ Pleisure

Reduction in compensation culture ­ Fat Cat Group

Variation in excise duty rate ­ Burton Bridge Brewery

Minimising red tape for tenants ­ Trust Inns

Smoking ban will require a capital investment of £20,000 and could reduce pub turnover by 20% ­ Moorhouse's Brewery

Control of the proliferation of central government. Legislation is stifling and potentially crippling the small businesses within the industry ­ JC & RH Palmer

Qualifying for progressive beer duty ­ Highgate Brewery

For the Government to stop tinkering

with a system that is operated professionally ­ InnSpired Pubs & Taverns

A more positive approach by the police, local authorities and Government to acknowledge the finest licensed trade in the world ­ this in itself would eradicate the small minority of licensees causing problems ­ Honeycombe Leisure

Suppliers breaking away from the tradition of annual increases, thereby forcing up prices to consumers ­ Botanic Inns

If global brands weren't so cheap in supermarkets the pub could then compete ­ Hook Norton

We need a Tory government ­ The London Inn Group

If there were less legislation we would be able to spend more time improving quality and productivity ­ Brakspear

Increased consumer confidence ­ Hall & Woodhouse

Minimum price controls ­ Regent Inns

A smoking ban would seriously damage our estate ­ St Austell Brewery

Better quality applicants and legislation ­ Peninsula Inns

Do you have any other comments about the way the industry is going?

We are no longer the customers of the big landlords, that is now their shareholders, and lessees are being squeezed far too much ­ Pleisure

Ongoing rationalisation of the big players continues to limit expansion opportunities for smaller multiple groups. Poorer quality management applicants and increased bureaucracy and legislation are also eroding margins. However, there is still a healthy future for the smaller, low-geared entrepreneurial operator ­ Peninsula Inns

Hopefully, things will be driven by the discerning customer ­ Fat Cat Group

The industry is being hammered with legislation, all of which is having a detrimental effect on business ­ Rosemount Taverns

Constantly exciting! ­ Massive

We're smothered in red tape ­ Sarumdale

If the nanny state continues, not only will our industry suffer, but the whole of our freedom, and basic choice is under threat. Big Brother is not only around the corner, he is there kicking us all now ­ The London Inn Group

There's too much negative publicity ­ Wadworth

Large companies may be forced to offer prospective lessees a range of options: tied, partially tied and free-of-tie with open market rents ­ Sovereign Inns

The inability of the industry to speak with one voice ­ Drystone Inns

The industry needs to lobby hard on smoking and not fragment into self-interest ­ Newport Pub Company

Rents need to be controlled and AWPs freed up otherwise there won't be enough profit for tenants ­ Barter Inns

The industry is entering a very interesting period. In the managed business if you are not focussed you are dead ­ or at least "walking dead". The noise from the high street as JD Wetherspoon and Yates wage a personal slanging match is diverting attention from the real changes in the business ­ Mill House Inns

There is a very real danger that red tape will deter new entrants to the trade ­ St Austell Brewery

The high street will come back. A lot of small multiple operators will fall by the wayside ­ Geronimo Inns

Enough is enough. There is too much cost and legislation. We need to speak with one voice if we are to demand the fairest deals and legislation ­ Honeycombe Leisure

The industry is suffering from a seeming desire by Government to drive everyone back into their own homes ­ Tadcaster Pub Co

Too much time is spent dealing with external issues, particularly legislation. It is time we were allowed to get on with running our businesses with the goal of exceeding our customers' expectations ­ Jennings

We need to inform the nation of the contribution we make to Great Britain ­ Brakspear

We do not subscribe to doom and gloom.The industry is healthy, as evidenced by the steady stream of new applicants. The high street is slowing down, but community pubs are buoyant ­ Celtic Inns

It is becoming increasingly difficult to present our industry as a great one in which to build a career with the endless savage and false attacks by politicians playing the focus-group game ­ McMullen

We need to speak more positively with one voice about the positive contribution we make to the wellbeing of the nation ­ Regent Inns

We are concerned about the local authority interpretation of licensing law reform and the huge variation being demonstrated at this early stage by way of policy statements ­ Gray & Sons

We are very concerned about the barrage of negative press. The industry needs to show all the good things about our business and that there are a lot of well-run, suburban, community pubs out there, acting as an essential cog in the locality ­

Wharfedale Taverns

We need to get better-trained people involved and strengthen the career structure. We also need to break the pub-group monopoly over the best sites and stop bureaucrats interfering ­ Bath Ales

Greater control of new licences should be exercised ­ W