Wells urges halt to punitive hikes
The Government has to put a stop to the relentless burden of taxation and regulation on pubs, according to Paul Wells, chief executive of Charles Wells.
He wants pubs to be treated as small businesses in need of support.
Wells said: "Pubs should stop being treated as high-street bars. Rate relief, lower VAT for hospitality businesses, an excise-duty break for cask ales, or loan funding, are all options. It needs to be something."
He added that high taxes have crippled the on-trade, meaning licensees suffer. As a result, communities no longer have a place to meet.
"Research says you are most likely to meet that special someone in a pub. Tourists to Britain also list a pub visit as a number one priority," said Wells.
He believes that pubs are blamed unjustly for problems with binge drinking and antisocial behaviour.
"Funny, isn't it, that even after all the evidence on the availability of cheap alcohol in shops, all anyone says is that pub licensing should be revoked. There is no mention of the fact that most pubs do manage alcohol consumption on the prem-ises day in, day out," he said.
Wells predicts the toughest year yet for the pub industry, and says things will only worsen without help from the Government.
"The colossal increase of 10% in excise duty in the Budget announcement left the industry reeling," he said. "The accelerator to follow next year will only make things worse. The Chancellor should give some more thought to the brewing and pub industries."
