Brokenshire receptive to pub trade lobbying
Fourteen hundred submissions have been made for the Government's consultation on licensing reform - as trade chiefs step up their lobbying to get the best result possible for pubs.
A series of meetings with Home Office minister James Brokenshire have been taking place over the controversial proposals, which include a late-night levy and granting more powers over licensing to police, councils and residents.
The next few weeks will be crucial, with the Police Reform & Social Responsibility Bill — which contains the proposals — now expected to be published in late November or early December.
As the Government has indicated that it will push through with the plans, the trade's best opportunity is to get them amended so that well-run pubs don't suffer.
MPs on the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, plus Glendola Leisure managing director Alex Salussolia, Keith Bott of the Society of Independent Brewers and Emily Ryans of the Campaign for Real Ale had a joint meeting with the minister.
Beer Group secretary Robert Humphreys described it as "useful". "I had some indication that the Government is listening carefully. He said they had 1,400 submissions; he didn't say if they were in favour or against."
Separately, Greg Mulholland, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group, and Kate Nicholls of the Assocaition of Licensed Multiple Retailers urged Brokenshire to push for better supermarket regulation. They also called for positive representations on pubs to be counted as well as negative ones.
Mulholland said: "I am pleased that the minister did clearly acknowledge the importance of community pubs and said that he is listening to the consultation."
British Beer & Pub Association chief executive Brigid Simmonds also said the minister was in "listening mode" during her meeting with him, and she was hopeful the BBPA's lobbying had been taken on board.
And National Pubwatch chairman Steve Baker, who met with Brokenshire last week, said: "We talked about where local voluntary pubwatch schemes are fighting to reduce crime."
