Licensees and trade officials petition against smoking ban
The battle to block moves by councils in Liverpool and London to ban smoking in all public places - including pubs - is officially under way.
The Publican's petitions against smoking bans in the two cities were joined by further opposition to the councils' Private Bills in the House of Lords on February 7.
Lewisham Pubwatch, which is supporting The Publican's Butt Out! campaign to stop local authority interference in the smoking issue, has put in its own protest, while other submissions have gone in from the West Middlesex Licensed Victuallers' Association (WMLVA), the Westminster Licensees' Association (WLA) and individual licensees.
A protest has also gone in from the British Beer & Pub Association, the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers and the British Hospitality Association. Other petitioners include the Air Cleaner Manufacturers Association.
Frank Dupree of the WMLVA and licensee of the Cabbage Patch in Twickenham, Middlesex, said: "This process is a sneaky way of trying to get a complete smoking ban through. Our hope is that when they see the petitions, the Lords will say the government is dealing with this. Let's not take a sledgehammer to crack a nut."
The Westminster Licensees' Association (WLA) said all its members were united against the "draconian and premature proposals" set out in the London borough's draft bill.
"This is an example of the worst kind of political opportunism - a PR initiative to generate headlines not business," said WLA spokeswoman Kate Nicholls.
But Westminster City Council, which has placed its Bill in the Lords on behalf of all the London councils, and alongside Liverpool City Council, said it was only sponsoring the Bill because it has always historically been the sponsor authority of London local authorities Bills.
"These powers would be adoptive and I can confirm that Westminster Council would choose not to make use of these powers," claimed council leader Simon Milton.
Petitioners are now expected to be called to a meeting with a Lords committee to discuss the issue, possibly in June. The Bills successfully passed their first reading in January and will be heard a second time in the Lords in March.
The Publican's news editor Daniel Pearce hands The Publican's petition in to the House of Lords.
