NewsDigest

Lord Clement Jones, the LibDem peer, has called for a review into the licensing of live music in pubs and other locations. His complaints centre around the amount of bureaucracy involved in varying licenses, the costs of licences at smaller venues and a lack of clarity over the definition of incidental music. MA legal editor Peter Coulson said: "The LibDems want a 'de minimis' rule, allowing for a wider exemption from licensing for smaller events, in effect bringing back the 'two in a bar' rule in a different guise."

Whitbread has reported a 1.5% increase in like-for-like sales across its pub-restaurant estate for the six months to 30 August. The company said that revenue for the 402-strong division dropped 25% to £229.5m compared to last year's comparative period, because of the sale of 235 sites to Mitchells & Butlers for £497m.

Dorset brewer and operator Hall & Woodhouse has reported a record trading year. Profit on ongoing activities, net of financing costs, grew by 10.7% to £8.79m. In addition the company, which brews Tanglefoot and Badger, has increased its share of the UK premium-bottled-ale market to 9.7%, with a 22% increase in volume.

The Independent Family Brewers of Britain (IFBB) has launched a new campaign to encourage more people to choose a career as a licensee. The organisation, which represents 28 family-owned brewers, is hoping its new targeted marketing campaign will help attract more people to the industry. The communications campaign will target national as well as local media.

The Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA) is urging other councils to follow Edinburgh's lead and drop proposals to force licensees to provide seating for 50% of patrons. The trade body welcomed indications that the City of Edinburgh's Licensing Board was set to drop the controversial plans. Edinburgh Council leader, Jenny Dawe, branded the crackdown on vertical drinking as "utterly ridiculous".