"Faced with what Punch Taverns chief executive Giles Thorley branded the findings of a 'kangaroo court', the company's executives are preparing a detailed response to the Business & Enterprise Select Committee (BEC) report, which was highly critical of the pubcos attitude towards their lessees and which was published last week. They know that the issue has become a 'political football'. There appears to be a strong chance that Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, will refer the issue to the Competition Commission, launching a process that could last two years or more. Meanwhile, the pubcos will continue to be plagued by uncertainty, with the inevitable downward pressure on share prices that will bring." - Daily Telegraph
"Last week's report on the industry by the BEC has met with angry accusations of libel, subverting parliamentary process and even threats of legal action. One of the angriest is James Dickson, chief executive of Brulines, the Aim-listed company that supplies drinks-dispensing monitoring equipment to 95 per cent of the pub trade. The Committee said it had 'doubts about the basic accuracy of the equipment' provided by Brulines. Dickson said he had consulted his lawyers about taking libel action, but was told MPs on the Committee were protected by parliamentary privilege. 'They are very lucky to have that after writing this trash,' he said. 'But I take heart from the fact that very little credibility will be given to them, given the current furore over their expenses.'" - Daily Mail
"Ted Tuppen, chief executive of Enterprise Inns and who was effectively accused of misleading MPs on the BEC said: 'Without parliamentary privilege, we would be considering action.' The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) was also understood to be angry after the BEC took the unusual step of calling for an investigation by the Competition Commission rather than the OFT, saying 'we do not believe an OFT investigation would be satisfactory'. However, the Commission said that it would be extremely unlikely to investigate without a referral from the OFT first, while a government source said: 'The BEC can't just pick its regulator.'" - Daily Mail
"If - and some analysts say it is a big 'if' - an investigation is launched and ends up agreeing with the committee's report, a loosening of the tie could have far-reaching implications for Punch and Enterprise. James Ainley, analyst at Panmure Gordon, says that 25-30 per cent of operating profits could be at risk if the pub companies' return were limited to the open market rent. This could have a knock-on effect on the pub companies' ability to service their debt." - Financial Times
"British people are more familiar with soap pubs than their own local, a new study has found. A survey of 4,000 adults carried out by beer brand Carling discovered that the majority of Britons know the names of pubs in Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks but cannot name their nearest bar. The brewing company has also announced that one in five people have never been inside their local pub. Meanwhile, the majority of those who do visit do not regard themselves as regulars." - Digital Spy
"A struggling pub landlady who tried to exploit a legal loophole to allow customers to smoke inside one room has agreed to halt the practice. Kerry Fenton found customer numbers rocketing as word spread about the 'smoking research centre' at the Cutting Edge pub in Worsbrough, Barnsley, which had previously attracted just a handful of drinkers. However Barnsley Council said it had spoken to Ms Fenton: 'A productive discussion with the licensee took place and an assurance has been given that the premises has now returned to being smoke-free. We will continue to monitor the situation.'" - Yorkshire Post
"A pub raider who shot a policewoman was given a life sentence yesterday. Wayne McDonald, 47, fired at PC Katie Johnson, 29, as she investigated the robbery. Ballistics evidence showed the dog handler was lucky not to have been seriously hurt in the New Year's Eve 2007 raid at the Hospital Inn in Bamber Bridge, near Preston, Lancs." - The Mirror