by Tony Halstead
The trade is facing yet more delays in the publication of the long-awaited Code of Practice on drinks promotions.
It is now more than a year since the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) announced the imminent publication of thenew code.
The BBPA now says that it expects the code to see the light of day within the next couple of months but can give no firm date.
The association says delays stemmed from the need to seek approval from a number of different government departments to ensure that all retail operators were bound by its provisions.
Association communications director Mark Hastings says the BBPA membership only covers two thirds of the country's pubs and the job of getting non-member operators to comply meant an input from the Home Office, the Department of Media Culture & Sport and the Office of Fair Trading.
"Our own member companies have been working to these particular (new code) standards for over a year but the key issue has always been to ensure they became standard for all pubs.
"But there are a range of other bodies and government departments out there who had to be drawn into the equation," he explained.
Hastings said the code needed the support of the licensing authorities, which involved the DCMS writing it into the Licensing Act guidance notes.
"Our mission was alwaysto ensure that the DCMS tooka lead in this and utilised the code as part of the guidance," he added.
The Home Office also had to extend its support as did the Office Of Fair Trading in respect of any competition issues that might be involved.
"The whole process has involved a time-consuming dialogue with a number of different bodies which has necessarily taken a considerable time to complete.
"However we do expect to be able to finally publish the code within a couple of months."
The central plank of the Code of Practice aims to emphasise firm standards for all drinks promotional activity to discourage irresponsible drinking.
The principle will be to stress that the deeper the price discount and shorter period of time these run, the more likely the promotion is to encourage excessive drinking.