Legislation

News in brief

Pro-pub policies in National Planning Policy Framework welcomed by industry

28-Mar-2012 - The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) and the British Beer and and Pub Association (BBPA) are among industry organisations to welcome the publication of the new National Planning Policy Framework which calls for Councils to promote the development of local services like pubs.

Compass joins suppliers and businesses by cutting calories for Responsibility Deal pledge

27-Mar-2012 - Foodservice supplier Compass is the latest addition to the growing number of caterers and food manufacturers who have signed up to the Government’s new calorie reduction Responsibility Deal pledge in a bid to reduce growing obesity rates. 

Alcohol Strategy: Minimum pricing confirmed, pub industry's reaction

23-Mar-2012 - The Government has confirmed  in the publication of its Alcohol Strategy that it is to introduce a minimum price for alcohol with the level of 40p a unit being examined in a move the Prime Minister David Cameron said would 'not hurt pubs'.

Budget 2012: The pub and bar industry's reaction

21-Mar-2012 - The Chancellor George Osborne's decision to refuse to budge on the controversial beer duty escalator in the Budget has been widely criticised by the pub and bar sector as a missed opportunity to reverse a policy that continues to lead to job losses and pub closures.

Budget 2012: Osborne refuses to budge on alcohol duty or reduce VAT for hospitality, but does offer to back business

21-Mar-2012 - The Chancellor George Osborne has refused to budge on the alcohol duty escalator or reduce VAT for the hospitality industry, but did outline other plans to help business as a whole in this year's Budget. 

Budget 2012: The restaurant industry's reaction

21-Mar-2012 - Members of the restaurant industry have expressed their disappointment at the Chancellor's lack of help for the sector in today's Budget, saying his claim that he will 'unashamedly back business' means nothing if he doesn't cut VAT.

Budget 2012: The hotel industry's reaction

21-Mar-2012 - While one or two measures announced in today’s budget have been welcomed by the UK hotel industry, Chancellor George Osborne has left many businesses in the dark and avoided a number of major issues hampering the sector.

Hospitality industry echoes business calls for utilities and fuel help in the Budget

20-Mar-2012 - The hospitality industry has echoed calls from the Forum of Private Business for Government to give more support on utilities and fuel costs to small businesses in the Budget this week.

BHA welcomes bank lending scheme for hospitality businesses

20-Mar-2012 - A £20bn government scheme to boost bank lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been welcomed by the British Hospitality Association (BHA).

National Minimum Wage: Springboard expresses disappointment at freeze for under-21s

19-Mar-2012 - The Government has announced the National Minimum Wage (NMW) will rise for adults and apprentices but will be frozen for 16-20 year-olds in a move that the hospitality careers charity Springboard described as disappointing.

Temporary Event Notices: Hospitality lawyers advise licensees to apply before law change and Olympics

19-Mar-2012 - Hospitality licensees considering applying for future Temporary Event Notices (TENs) for events including those during the London 2012 Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee celebrations have been advised to apply now before the system becomes more restrictive after 6 April.

Groupon forced to change trading practices by OFT

16-Mar-2012 - Voucher website Groupon has been forced to change some of its trading practices and how it interacts with merchants and businesses after an investigation by the Office of Fair Trading found 'widespread' examples of breached consumer regulations.

London's restaurants urged to sign up to voluntary healthy eating scheme

14-Mar-2012 - Restaurants and other food outlets in London are being urged to sign up to a voluntary scheme which would see them accredited for actively making their menus healthier. 

Minimum alcohol pricing: Is it now inevitable and what would the impact be on hospitality?

14-Mar-2012 - Minimum alcohol pricing which stops retailers selling drinks for less than the tax paid comes into force this year but reports now suggest the Government is looking to go further and may support a minimum per unit price; but what would the impact be on the hospitality industry?

Hospitality industry unites to support VAT cut for tourism

12-Mar-2012 - The British Hospitality Association, Travelodge and Whitbread are among a number of leading hospitality businesses and industry bodies that have united to urge the Government to slash the rate of VAT for the tourism sector to five per cent. 

‘Old boy network still exists in hospitality’, says female hotel director

09-Mar-2012 - A leading hotel operations director has warned of the ‘extreme difficulties’ that women face in the hospitality industry, claiming there is still a ‘macho culture’ that exists in the hotel sector.

'Give beer a break', urges SIBA chairman

09-Mar-2012 - The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) chairman Keith Bott has called for policy makers to ‘give beer a break’ as he addressed delegates at the organisation’s annual conference yesterday in Stratford-upon-Avon.

News in brief

Pubwatch schemes encouraged to respond to Government consultation

08-Mar-2012 - Pubwatch schemes are being encouraged to respond to the Home Office consultation on late night drinking venues in order to help the case for pubwatches receiving a discount from the Government's proposed late night levy and early morning restriction orders.

News in brief

Clover Taverns falls into administration

07-Mar-2012 - Manchester-based pub group Clover Taverns, which operates 10 venues across the country, has fallen into administration.

Government should encourage pub drinking to control alcohol violence, new research suggests

07-Mar-2012 - The Government should encourage people to return to pubs and bars to drink if it is to control night-time violence caused as a result of alcohol, according to new research from the Institute for Health and Community at Plymouth University.

Jacques Borel’s industry VAT club redesigns logo to focus on jobs

06-Mar-2012 - The campaign set-up to lobby for a cut in VAT charged in hospitality businesses on drink, food and accommodation to 5% has redesigned its logo to represent a refocus for the campaign on the employment benefits a VAT boost to the industry could give the economy as a whole.

Work experience: Vital or exploitative? Industry leaders give their views

29-Feb-2012 - Work experience has hit the headlines as Government talks with businesses concerned about the scheme to get unemployed youngsters on placements continue; BigHospitality asked hospitality industry leaders at Hotelympia, including Raymond Blanc, for their views on restaurant, hotel or pub and bar work experience.

Virus outbreak could price lamb off the menu

29-Feb-2012 - Restaurants and pubs across the UK may need to consider revising their menus due to the continuing spread of the Schmallenberg virus, which could dramatically reduce supplies of lamb and increase its costs.

Pubs warned about TV football coverage by sports lawyer

28-Feb-2012 - Publicans have been warned by a leading sports lawyer not to misread the victory of Portsmouth landlady Karen Murphy in the High Court as an acceptance of the legality of showing Premier League matches without a valid UK subscription service.

News in brief

Portsmouth landlady wins High Court battle with the Premier League

24-Feb-2012 - Karen Murphy, the Portsmouth landlady who was convicted in 2006 for showing foreign TV coverage of English Premier League matches in her pub using a decoder, has had her conviction quashed by the High Court.