It may have been summer recess for parliamentarians across the UK, but that didn’t mean the work stopped for ministers, civil servants, or the CAMRA Campaigns Team!  

In a regular series for WB Online, the CAMRA Campaigns Team shares the work that has been going on across Westminster, the devolved parliaments and local government.  

WESTMINSTER  

Budget

We are busy prepping for the biggest fiscal event of the year – the Autumn Budget. We are planning to engage members and the public in lobbying, and are preparing our submission to the chancellor.   

Our campaigning will focus on:  

– new draught beer duty rate

– positive reform of Small Brewers’ Relief (with the retention of the 5,000 HL threshold)

– fairer business rates for pubs

– lower-strength duty rate to apply to beers up to 3.5 per cent

– new progressive duty system for cider.

All-Party Parliamentary Pub Group – secretariat provided by CAMRA

CAMRA is continuing work on the Inquiry into the impact of the pandemic on pubs and the people that use them. Following the successful oral evidence session (which can be watched on Youtube), we have produced a final report which is currently being signed off by the APPG chair and vice chairs.  

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy consultation on change to the Pubs Code

The Campaigns Team met with civil servants to discuss our thoughts on the consultation on change to the Pubs Code.   

CAMRA submitted a full formal response to the consultation, which can be read here. 

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) 

The Campaigns Team held an introductory meeting with a new team that has been formed at DEFRA to focus on the alcohol industry.    

This is a positive step forwards in building a stronger relationship with the department. DEFRA covers some key policy areas that tie into campaigning for consumers, producers and pub, including the supply chain, deposit return schemes, and other environmental matters.  

Launch of Modern British Cider 

We sent letters from CAMRA national chairman Nik Antona and Gabe Cook (author of ‘Modern British Cider’ along with a free copy of the book to every MP that has a cider maker featured in it. The letter highlighted key issues facing the sector and called for a small cider makers’ duty relief scheme.   

We also wrote to the chancellor raising the same points about taxation and ingredient labelling. You can see the letter here. 

SCOTLAND 

Scottish Pubs Code

We held an initial meeting with civil servants who are drafting the new code.  

Further informal discussions with industry bodies will be held before formal consultations in the autumn on the guest beer and market rent only provisions that will be in the new code. We expect draft secondary legislation to be published at the same time as the consultations are launched.   

A formal consultation on the other aspects of the code will be held in spring 2022, with a view to full implementation in Autumn 2022.  

Cross Party Group on Beer and Pubs – secretariat provided by CAMRA

The convenor of the Cross Party Group on Beer and Pubs, Patrick Harvie MSP, has now taken up a role as a minister in the Scottish government. Discussions are ongoing with MSPs about finding a replacement convenor for the group before launching a programme of meetings and events.  

WALES  

Preparatory work is underway to launch a campaign urging members of the Senedd and the Welsh government to commit to reforming permitted development rights in order to offer better protections for pubs (currently they can be converted to some uses or demolished without the need for a planning application – preventing communities from having their say when a local is under threat).  

NORTHERN IRELAND  

COVID recovery and reopening 

Restrictions on group sizes have now been lifted, but table-service only restrictions are still in place.  

Licensing legislation

CAMRA NI, SIBA and local producers met with Hospitality Ulster to discuss issues where we have common cause, and a proposal for a joint approach to working with civil servants implementing the new licensing legislation.  

Topics under discussion include setting decent sample sizes for brewery tours, and making sure there aren’t onerous costs or administrative burdens in order to open a taproom under this new legislation. CAMRA is pursuing an initial meeting with civil servants to discuss these further.  

That’s all for this round up – we’ll be back in a month or so to let you know about the latest campaigning. 

If any CAMRA member wants campaigning advice, the Campaigns Team is here to help – email campaigns@camra.org.uk