Coussins calls for new pub regulatory body

by John Harrington

Portman Group chief executive Jean Coussins has called for a Portman-style regulatory body for pubs.

Her comments follow the revelation in the Morning Advertiser that the Home Office wants pub and drinks companies to fund an industry-wide regulatory body. But the British Beer & Pub Association said that Coussins' aims are already embodied in its own code of practice for pubs.

Portman only regulates drinks producers, and Coussins said a similar body is needed to ensure pubs are responsible.

In the foreword to Portman's Annual Code Report 2004, Coussins said: "[The] gap in the regulatory framework must be plugged if the kind of consistent, joined-up best practice envisaged by the Government in its [Alcohol Harm Reduction] Strategy is to develop.

"The retail side of the industry needs to decide how best to achieve this. It is to be hoped that the Government, knowing how effective the Portman Group Code has been in driving up producer standard has been, will give the retailers the chance to deliver on a self-regulatory basis too."

BBPA spokeswoman Christine Milburn welcomed Coussin's comments as a plea for the Government to look to self-regulation rather than legislation.

She said self-regulation by pub operators through the BBPA's code of conduct, launched in 2001, have cut bad practice. For example, a number of pub companies have updated their own approaches to go beyond the measures in the BBPA's guide.

"This is reinforcing the fact that the code of practice that the BBPA has in place is working," Milburn said.

Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers chief executive Nick Bish agreed the trade needs to act and called Coussins' plans a "laudable aim".

But he said: "The trouble is that with products it's a little more straightforward, because there are only so many products and only so many [drinks producers] that are acting irresponsibly."

He added: "We should be careful that we don't do the Government's job for it. If it's important enough for legislation there should be legislation. If not, there should be a code."

Complaints panel seeks to close sex loophole

The Portman Group's Independent Complaints Panel (ICP) has called for pub guidelines for promoting drinks to be harmonised with Portman's code.

In his foreword for Portman's annual report, ICP chairman Paul Condon said it was "inconsistent" that a drink that breaches Portman's code can be sold in a pub if it is prepared on site.

"This unsatisfactory juxtaposition is probably not sustainable and, ideally, reform would seek to harmonise all the relevant Codes of Practice and guidance," Condon said.

His comments follow the dispute last year over the Muse Sex on the Beach pre-packaged cocktail range. Portman blacklisted this because of the link with sexual success, but owner Charles Wells argued that this would not stop pubs from making and selling a drink of the same name.

David Poley, Portman's director of policy, said: "It's largely in the hands of the retail trade as to how, or if, they want to address concerns about how alcohol is sold at the retail level."

Condon said the "sexualisation" of drinks was the main theme of complaints to Portman against alcoholic drinks last year.