Ministers today called for Labour to apologise for all the community pubs that closed their doors thanks to the Labour Government’s policies.
Official figures show there was a net closure of 3,530 pubs across England under Labour from 1997 to 2010.
"Labour hiked taxes on pubs and did nothing to stop unfair loss-leading by supermarkets" said Grant Shapps, Minister for Local Government.
"They only people they helped were the yobs who benefited from the 24 hour licensing laws which fuelled a surge in alcohol-fuelled violence in our high streets. Labour must apologise for the harm they did to community pubs across the country."
In contrast, the new Government is doing its best to defend local pubs:
-
Through the Localism Bill, to be introduced in November, the Government will allow communities to bid to take on local assets and facilities, including community pubs, where they are up for sale.
-
Expert advice is being given available to communities seeking to take over their local pub through the Government-funded Asset Transfer Unit.
-
More help will be given to firms to help them with business rates: making small business rate relief automatic; introducing a more generous small business rate relief scheme for a year from October; and giving councils powers to levy discretionary business rate discounts – which could, for example, be used to support local pubs.
-
There will be a ban the sale of alcohol below cost price, helping protect local pubs from unfair ‘loss leading’ by some supermarkets.
-
The Government is reforming licensing rules to make it easier to play live music in local pubs.
-
The new Government has already scrapped the planned 10% rise in cider duties - the so-called "cider tax".
"The new Coalition Government has scrapped Labour's unfair cider tax, will give local residents a community right to buy to save local pubs, will stop unfair selling by supermarkets and is cutting red tape on live music in pubs", Shapps added."
"Pub landlords don't want state handouts. They want a level playing field and less government regulation getting in the way."