Tag: Tied Pubs (Scotland) Bill

Pubgoers urge MSPs to support new law to protect our pubs

Pub goers and beer drinkers from across the country are urging MSPs to support a new law being debated this week which would help pub licensees earn a decent living – and increase the choice of local and independent beers on offer in our locals. 

The proposed new law – the Tied Pubs (Scotland) Bill which has been put forward by Labour MSP Neil Bibby – would introduce a Pubs Code to govern the relationship between tied pub tenants and pub-owning businesses, with an Adjudicator to enforce the rules. 

It is designed to prevent national pub-owning businesses from taking more than is fair or sustainable from the profits of their tied tenants who lease pubs from them. 

Tied pubs see licensees rent the premises from a pub-owning company, with landlords required to buy beer and other supplies from that company. 

The Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee is debating Stage 2 of the Tied Pubs (Scotland) Bill this week. 

As well as helping publicans earn a decent living, the Bill would also allow them more choice over which beers they stock, instead of having to buy a restricted range of stock at increasingly high prices from the pub-owning company. 

Consumer group CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, is backing the new law, with its branches across the country urging MSPs to pass the legislation without delay to help protect and improve community pubs by allowing tied licensees to earn a decent living and increasing choice of local, independent beers on offer at the bar. 

Commenting CAMRA Scotland’s Director Joe Crawford said: “Pub goers and beer drinkers across Scotland are urging MSPs to vote in favour of the Tied Pubs Bill, to make sure that those running tied pubs are treated fairly, can earn a decent living and build back better after the COVID-19 crisis. 

“As well as helping licensees, this new law could also see more beers on offer from small, local and independent breweries which will help increase choice for consumers at our locals. 

“It’s not fair that large pub-owning businesses can restrict landlords to buying certain beers from them at above-market value and prevent them from support small, local breweries by offering these beers on tap.

“That’s why we are urging MSPs to support the interests of consumers, community pubs and hard-working tied pub tenants over the large pub-owning businesses by voting in favour of the Tied Pubs Bill this week.”

Change law to guarantee all publicans a decent living, Scottish Government urged

The Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee has published its report into legislation proposed by Labour MSP Neil Bibby to govern the relationship between tied pub tenants and pub-owning businesses. 

The Tied Pubs (Scotland) Bill is being backed by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, which is calling on the Scottish Government and all parties in the Scottish Parliament to vote for the legislation when it is debated later this month. 

Licensees in Scotland are currently exempt from regulations that are in place across the rest of Great Britain which stop large pub companies from taking more than is fair or sustainable from pub profits by forcing licensees to buy their beer from them rather than on the open market. 

Responding to the publication of the Scottish Parliament Committee’s report, CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona said: “CAMRA is calling on Business Minister Jamie Hepburn and the Scottish Government to do the right thing and give their backing to the Tied Pubs Bill when it is debated later this month.

“This Bill will create, in law, a powerful pubs code to guarantee tied pub tenants are treated fairly and can earn a decent living. 

“Scottish Government support for this legislation would be very warmly welcomed by both consumers and the licenced trade as a positive move to help pubs, publicans and pub-goers, after weeks and months of harsh restrictions which are devastating the industry. 

“Just a few weeks ago Heineken’s pub arm, Star Pubs and Bars, were fined £2 million by England and Wales’ Pubs Code Adjudicator for serious and repeated breaches of the pubs code. But despite being headquartered in Edinburgh, their Scottish tenants don’t have similar protections to stop pub companies taking more than is fair or sustainable from tied licensees’ profits or make it harder to sell a range of locally-brewed products in their pubs. 

“The Scottish Government must now take this opportunity to change the law so that tied pub tenants here have the same protections as those south of the border.”