CAMRA campaign to loosen Welsh tie

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is urging the Welsh Assembly Government to lobby Westminster to grant it powers to act on the beer tie.

It's part of a package of measures that CAMRA wants introduced in its Charter for Welsh Beer Drinkers and Pub Goers, ahead of the Assembly election in May.

The Charter says the "unfair" operation of the tie by large pubcos is "artificially inflating the consumer price for beer" and restricting access to pubs for small and regional Welsh brewers.

It adds: "The Welsh Assembly Government should seek additional powers to legislate so that pubs with beer tied by large pub companies can sell at least one locally-produced beer or cider purchased on the open market."

The coalition Government has pledged to act if tied tenants aren't offered a free-of-tie option, but it remains to be seen how this will work in practice.

The Welsh Assembly Government has no powers to act in this area and a spokesman said it had no plans to request powers from Westminster. CAMRA hopes that policy may change after the May election.

The group's head of public affairs, Jonathan Mail, said: "One thing that Assembly Members are keen on is that small Welsh brewers and cider makers can have access to pubs.

"Potentially we could have the next Welsh Government requesting powers from Westminster to have Welsh statutory beer rights."

He added that CAMRA also wants ministers in the Welsh Assembly Government to "exert their influence" over their counterparts in Westminster.

Mail said the lobby of the Welsh Assembly shows "we are covering all bases" campaigning over the tie.

In July last year, a committee of Welsh Assembly members were in agreement that pubs in Wales should be granted a guest beer right regardless of any action by the UK Government.

CAMRA's Welsh Charter​

• More protection for pubs in planning law

• New class of rate relief for community pubs and those selling local produce

• Introduce small business rate relief for pubs

• Promote grants and loans for small brewers

• Retain small brewers' rate relief