COLNE Valley publicans have called for action to tackle cut-price booze.
A survey among pubs in his constituency by MP Jason McCartney found that four out of five favoured a minimum retail price for alcohol.
Mr McCartney, a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Beer and Pubs, is backing the Fair Deal for your Local campaign, which calls for action to protect pubs from unfair competition.
Among other findings from the Tory MP’s survey, 70% of pubs replying are owned by pub companies – with 40% of them owned by Enterprise Inns.
Just over two-thirds of pubs said they had seen a fall in profits against a year ago – with the average fall being almost 22%.
Pubs reporting lower profits blamed the decline in a fall in customer numbers, pub companies increasing prices “disproportionately to cost” and supermarkets selling cheap alcohol.
As a result, 80% of the pubs that replied said they supported a minimum retail price for alcohol.
Mr McCartney said there were major discrepancies between pubs – with some “tied” to buying beer from their pub company owners while freehouses were able to source ale more cheaply.
The MP is forwarding the findings of the survey to Business Secretary Vince Cable as part of the campaign to support local pubs.
In April 2013, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills announced a consultation on a statutory code of practice for large pub companies.
Pubs can take part in the consultation which can be found at www.gov.uk
