The British Beer & Pub Association has dismissed a Home Office-backed study by KPMG into drinks industry standards as ignoring existing evidence.
The KPMG report, Review of the Social Responsibility Standards for the Production and Sale of Alcoholic Drinks, will be published tomorrow.
Media reports today suggest it will accuse the on-trade of “irresponsible and harmful practices”. The BBC has said the Home Office will likely look to introduce further legislation as a result.
The report is believed to be critical of the pub industry’s efforts to self regulate through a voluntary code of conduct.
Rob Hayward, chief executive of the BBPA, said: “We have not yet seen the report, but from extracts we have seen, it seems long on anecdotal stories and short on hard empirical evidence.
“It totally ignores existing hard evidence from the repeated government sting operations which have visited thousands of pubs in recent years. Those reports, while identifying some problems, have tracked consistent improvement in standards and high levels of good practice.”
Hayward said that the report criticised the pub industry for not doing something that was against the law, as it was illegal for trade associations to enforce agreements on promotions across the sector.
A separate study into drinks promotions by Alcohol Concern, published today, said that “self-regulation” had failed in the on-trade.
Under pressure pub industry needs support in 2008 >>
Drinks industry hits back at regulation plans >>
By Christopher Walton
E-mail your comments to Christopher Walton here.
| | Newsletters
For the latest hospitality news, sign up for our e-mail newsletters. | |