BEER ORDERS

Early day motion 909, tabled 27 February 2002 by Richard Younger-Ross (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 105 members.

That this House is concerned by the Government announcement to end beer orders; congratulates CAMRA in raising this issue; supports their view that the removal of the requirement for guest ales and the permission for brewers to place restrictive covenants on pubs they sell so that they can never be a pub again will lead to the closure of hundreds of pubs and the closure of many of the 400 small brewers; notes that this decision is the reverse of the advice of the Office of Fair Trading in 2000; and calls upon the Government to reconsider its decision.

Signatures by party: Labour 48, Liberal Democrat 30, Conservative 14, Labour/Co-operative 9, Plaid Cymru 2, Scottish National Party 1, UUP 1.