Licensees fear beer price may have to be put up by 13p a pint

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) says the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill, which will be debated in the House of Lords today and on Wednesday next week, would allow local authorities to increase licensing fees by an estimated £100m.

The group warns that such a price rise would be passed onto drinkers.

Nick Bish, chief executive of the ALMR, said: “If this Bill is passed then every person in the country who enjoys a pint of beer will be forced to pay the price.

“These proposals will allow local authorities up and down the country to double the amount they charge in licensing fees. Pubs simply cannot afford to absorb these cost hikes so it will inevitably hit customers in the pocket.

“This couldn’t come at a worse time for the industry, particularly as supermarkets continue to sell alcohol at ridiculously low prices despite pledges by the Government to tackle this problem.”

Mr Bish called on Ministers to rethink that aspect of the legislation.

He said: “We are calling on the Government to think again and look at the impact that these plans will have on the pocket of the responsible drinker and their local community pub.”

The ALMR is the national trade body for pub and bar operators and its 90 member companies run 8,000 pubs and bars.

An estimated 3,204,000 barrels of beer were sold on licensed premises in 2010, equating to nearly 923 million pints.

The group’s figures are calculated on the total cost of the increased licensing fees being added to beer, rather than spread across other sales in licensed premises.

The ALMR also said it expected a further 10p to be added to the cost of a pint in the next Budget.