Government minister "pleased" OFT may look at pubco issues

http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?storycode=63826

What NEEDS to happen is for the recommendations of the BEC report to be put into action. This is NOT going to OFT - the report makes it crystal clear that OFT has serially failed to get its head around pubcos activities in the past and effectively given a clean bill of health to a terminal patient. OFT is NOT the route recommended by the report. Putting the industry in front of the Competition Commission is what is needed (note the pubcos and others saying there's no need for Competition Commission - and ask WHY they say there's no need - and compare this with what they were saying a year ago: "there's no need for another Select Committee inquiry, if it happens we welcome the opportunity to show just how far we've come since 2004").

While considering this you might like to think about what CAMRA is doing pushing this towards OFT rather than CC. CAMRA criticises pubcos but supports the tie? This is somewhat doublethink. It does not compute... The tie has been comprehensively abused and toally discredited. It should be thrown into the dustbin of history. But CAMRA thinks the tie supports diversity and helps small brewers get their beer into the market... CAMRA is a CONSUMER body. It represents consumers, not the doing side of the trade. It has got the wrong end of the stick and should be re examining its stance on this with alacrity because it is making a big mistake.

YOU, as an individual, can help get this along to the Compatition Commission if you are a tied licensee by coming to the Fair Pint Lobby day next Wednesday. We now have 170 MPs and 130 individual licensees attending. Imagine being part of this and having an exciting day out too!

You can start that here: http://www.fairpint.org.uk/lobbyday.html if you have ANY questions about the Lobby Day please call Fair Pint on 020 7222 3533 or email us on info@fairpint.org.uk and we'll try to help.