Leading pub associations have dismissed a last-ditch bid by the opposition to stop England and Wales’s new drinking laws.
Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are using the little-known parliamentary procedure called "praying against a statutory instrument" in a bid stop the new licensing laws, which are due to start 24 November.
If successful, they hope to force a vote on the introduction of the law in both the Commons and the Lords delaying the start of the new regime.
But pub leaders have discounted the attempt, saying with a Government majority in the Commons it is likely to fail.
Neil Williams, spokesman for the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “This doesn’t come as a surprise given that the opposition has been threatening to do it all summer. However, since there is a Government majority in the House of Commons I am doubtful that they will win their bid.”
He added: “It is also very rare for the House of Lords to overthrow a statutory instrument and as far as we can see there will be no change to the government’s schedule.”
John McNamara, chief executive at the British Institute of Innkeeping, said: “I think it’s very unlikely that the opposition will succeed particularly since James Purnell the licensing minister wrote to all MPs at the start of the week explaining that it would be a bad idea to do this.”
McNamara added that with nearly all businesses in the industry having already made their licence applications, he remained confident the new law would come into force on schedule.
By Kerstin Kuhn
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