The Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA) has today responded to the Scottish Parliament's Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee’s recommendation against a Pubs Code bill for Scotland.
Emma McClarkin, SBPA's Chief Executive, (pictured), said, “We are pleased that after reviewing the proposal and all the evidence, the committee has reached this conclusion. The proposal was an attempt to replicate Westminster legislation, despite the huge differences in the Scottish pub market.
'It simply wouldn’t have worked and would have seen Scottish pubs lose out on millions of pounds of investment at a time when the industry needs it most.
“Scotland’s pubs are struggling at the moment. They need all the support they can get from both Holyrood and Westminster. Adding extremely costly and burdensome regulations is the exact opposite of what should be done to support our sector through this crisis.
'Indeed, the current crisis has served to highlight the strength of the tied pub model in terms of the crucial additional support provided by pub companies to their tenants through this period.
McClarkin finished, “We hope the Scottish Parliament will agree with the Committee’s recommendation and reject the Bill at Stage 1.”