CAMRA says Scotland needs its own pubs code

It follows a survey that found 99% of licensees north of the border would support the move.

The research, carried out by CGA Strategy, also revealed 64.5% of tied licensees earn less than £15,000 a year and 74% of consider themselves worse off as a result of the tie.

The pubs code is included in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill, which is currently going through Parliament.

CAMRA national chairman, and Edinburgh native, Colin Valentine said: “Pubs across Scotland are currently under threat from big tied pub companies who are strangling the life out of the Scottish pub trade by charging sky-high rents and exorbitant beer prices. Licensees tied to the large pub companies have no choice but to buy all of their beer from their landlord and at a price of their pub company’s choosing.

Protection​

“Despite over 1,000 pubs in Scotland being tied to pub companies, measures to protect hard-working licensees as part of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill are not currently being introduced in Scotland. Scotland is losing two pubs every week according to the latest closure figures – highlighting the urgent need for action, before it’s too late.”

Valentine said he wanted MSPs to push for a legislative consent motion to address the concerns of licensees.

He added: “The evidence unmistakably shows that not only is there the same need for an adjudicator in Scotland as there is in other parts of the UK, but also that tied licensees in Scotland want to see the system put in place.”