Licensing law
Licensing Act investigators release questions for off-trade retailers
The committee will be asking questions on pre-loading, online ordering and super-strength alcohol next week (Tuesday 22 November).
The questions include:
- Should we introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol?
- Have we become a home-drinking nation?
- How can we address pre-loading?
- Is street drinking fuelled by the sale of cheap super-strength alcohol?
- How do you monitor the age of customers ordering alcohol online?
Supermarket representatives
Representatives from Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Ocado will give evidence at the hearing in front of the select committee, which is investigating the Licensing Act 2003.
Last week (14 November), Martin called on the committee to question supermarkets and rates at the hearing.
He told The Morning Advertiser: “From this April, pub rates will go up, on average, from 16p per pint to 19p per pint and wages per pint will increase from 90p to 95p."
Price of a pint
He added: “The rates increase for supermarkets will be far less because they only pay 2p per pint so if they increase by the same percentage, it is only a fraction of a penny more they will be paying and their wages per pint is only around 10p.”
“The gap between the price of a pint in a supermarket and a pub will widen in April but I don’t think the industry has got its mind around that fact.
The committee will hear from Sainsbury's head of legal services Nick Grant, Waitrose regulatory affairs and trading law manager James Brodhurst-Brown and Ocado service delivery director Mark Bentley.
