We'll fight NY-ban say capital pubs
by Tony Halstead
A leading London trade group has attacked attempts by local councils to force through a "New York-style" pub smoking ban in the city.
The Westminster Licensees Association (WLA) said a Lords private members' bill was Draconian and the worst kind of political opportunism.
The WLA believes the Local London Authorities Bill, being sponsored by Westminster City Council, will inflict serious damage on the city's leisure economy.
The association also claims the move pre-empts the Govern-ment's own attempts to tackle the public places smoking issue.
Westminster is sponsoring the London Local Authorities Bill which has seen 33 local councils in Greater London call for smoking restrictions in enclosed spaces.
But the association, which represents pubs, bars, nightclubs and other leisure venues in the borough, said any such move would have a damaging effect on business similar to the New York experience.
The WLA said: "We accept that public opinion is moving on this issue and that it is right for this to be a matter of public debate, but it should be a national debate.
"The Government's white paper on public health rejected local initiatives such as this (claiming they are) unpredictable, confusing for the customer and result in behavioural distortion in the market."
It added: "You need only look to New York to see the real commercial impact of well-intentioned but misguided local initiatives like this.
"This is an example of the worst kind of political opportunism, a PR initiative to generate headlines not business."
Westminster council said this week that its sponsorship merely involved the authority supervising the bill into the Lords.
"It is not our bill, it has merely fallen on Westminster to sponsor it and the authority does not have its own official position one way or the other on smoking," said a Westminster council spokesman.
2,300 jobs face axe in Scotland
Scotland's smoking ban is set to cost an initial 2,300 jobs, force more than 140 pubs to close and rob the Chancellor of £59m a year in tax revenue, a new report claims.
A study commissioned by the Scottish licensed trade says the ban would also see turnover drop by £105m and annual profits slump by £86m.
The figures will fuel the continuing controversy over the impact of the Scottish Executive's ban on smoking in enclosed public places, including pubs and restaurants, which is due to be introduced in just over a year.
The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) presented its analysis of the costs involved to MSPs this week.
Petitions target bills on smoking
A total of 39 petitions have been lodged against the two private bills to ban smoking in public places.
Trade associations, pub operators and other interested parties displayed a united show of force against the bills put forward by Westminster and Liverpool councils when the petitions were handed over on Monday.
Nineteen petitions were handed over in opposition to Liverpool's bid, and 20 were against Westminster's Bill.
The British Beer & Pub Association, the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) and the British Hospitality Association lodged a joint petition against both bills.
ALMR chief executive Nick Bish said it would be lobbying peers to persuade them to speak against the bills when they get a second reading, expected at the end of this month or later.
Westminster Licensees Association and the West Middlesex Licensed Victuallers Association also lodged opposition to the London bill.
A group of famous chefs including Antony Worrall Thompson and Tom Conran submitted a joint petition against Westminster's bill. Other petitions came from Pyramid Pub Company, Imperial Tobacco, and the National Association of Cigarette Machine Operators.
