I am glad to be able to get on to the debate on part 4 of the Bill, which is about pubs. There was considerable debate in Committee on the measures to introduce a pubs code adjudicator and a pubs code, and I am sure that we will have another...

I am glad to be able to get on to the debate on part 4 of the Bill, which is about pubs. There was considerable debate in Committee on the measures to introduce a pubs code adjudicator and a pubs code, and I am sure that we will have another...

Letter dated 14/11/2014 from Jo Swinson MP to Nadine Dories MP, Graham Brady MP, John Robertson MP, Martin Caton MP regarding the Small Business Enterprise and Employment Bill - small pubs code update. Includes a summary of Government amendments to Part 4: pubs code and adjudicator at annex A. 4 p.

Letter dated 14/11/2014 from Jo Swinson MP to Nadine Dories MP, Graham Brady MP, John Robertson MP, Martin Caton MP regarding the Small Business Enterprise and Employment Bill - small pubs code update. Includes a summary of Government amendments to Part 4: pubs code and adjudicator at annex A. 4...

Before I start, I want to say that I will take interventions only from Members who have told me that they want to intervene, one of whom is the hon. Member for Easington (Grahame M. Morris), the vice-chair of the all-party save the pub group. Moreover, given that the Secretary...

Before I start, I want to say that I will take interventions only from Members who have told me that they want to intervene, one of whom is the hon. Member for Easington (Grahame M. Morris), the vice-chair of the all-party save the pub group. Moreover, given that the Secretary...

I pay tribute to the excellent work that the hon. Gentleman, who is my hon. Friend in this matter, has done with the all-party save the pub group. I associate myself and the Labour party—not only the Back Benches, but the Front Bench—with the excellent case that he is putting...

I pay tribute to the excellent work that the hon. Gentleman, who is my hon. Friend in this matter, has done with the all-party save the pub group. I associate myself and the Labour party—not only the Back Benches, but the Front Bench—with the excellent case that he is putting...

I thank the hon. Gentleman and hon. Members from all parts of the House who have seen this practice for what it is and supported the response to it.

Favoured funds were the providers of much of the debt funding. At the peak of the madness, as much as £600 million...

I thank the hon. Gentleman and hon. Members from all parts of the House who have seen this practice for what it is and supported the response to it.

Favoured funds were the providers of much of the debt funding. At the peak of the madness, as much as £600 million...

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds North West (Greg Mulholland) for raising the issue and for his dedication to promoting, encouraging and supporting a fair and flourishing pub sector. He has a deep knowledge of the subject that was much on display this evening and I think...

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds North West (Greg Mulholland) for raising the issue and for his dedication to promoting, encouraging and supporting a fair and flourishing pub sector. He has a deep knowledge of the subject that was much on display this evening and I think...

House adjourned without question put.

House adjourned without question put.

Committee stage sixteenth sitting. Clauses 91 to 107 agreed to, one with an amendment. Clause 108 disagreed to. Clauses 109 to 150 agreed to, some with amendments. Motion to transfer clause 150 agreed to. Clauses 151 to 160 agreed to. Schedule 31 agreed to, with amendments. Clauses 161 and 162 agreed to, one with an amendment. Schedule 32 agreed to, with amendments. Clauses 163 to 166 agreed to. Schedule 33 agreed to. Clauses 167 to 172 agreed to, one with amendments. Clause 64 agreed to. Schedule 24 agreed to. Clauses 173 and 174 agreed to. Schedule 34 agreed to. Clauses 175 to 178 agreed to.

Committee stage sixteenth sitting. Clauses 91 to 107 agreed to, one with an amendment. Clause 108 disagreed to. Clauses 109 to 150 agreed to, some with amendments. Motion to transfer clause 150 agreed to. Clauses 151 to 160 agreed to. Schedule 31 agreed to, with amendments. Clauses 161 and 162...

I beg to move,

That this House notes the motion on pub companies passed by this House on 12 January 2012; recognises that a wide body of experts share the view that only a statutory code of practice which includes a free-of-tie option with an open market rent review and an...

I beg to move,

That this House notes the motion on pub companies passed by this House on 12 January 2012; recognises that a wide body of experts share the view that only a statutory code of practice which includes a free-of-tie option with an open market rent review and an...

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for pressing for this debate. Does he agree that it is a good example of Parliament—all-party groups, Select Committees and the Labour Opposition—playing a part in getting the Government to do the right thing in the end? I hope that they will be...

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for pressing for this debate. Does he agree that it is a good example of Parliament—all-party groups, Select Committees and the Labour Opposition—playing a part in getting the Government to do the right thing in the end? I hope that they will be...

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for those comments, and he is entirely right. The potential exists for this to be a really significant moment, but I do not think we can go any further than that yet.

The Secretary of State’s call for evidence was certainly enthusiastically answered....

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for those comments, and he is entirely right. The potential exists for this to be a really significant moment, but I do not think we can go any further than that yet.

The Secretary of State’s call for evidence was certainly enthusiastically answered....

I agree with the hon. Gentleman that 18 pubs closing a week is too many. He will know, however, that under the previous Labour Government pubs were closing at a rate of 54 a week—four times as many. Will he apologise for the Labour party having let down pubs so...

I agree with the hon. Gentleman that 18 pubs closing a week is too many. He will know, however, that under the previous Labour Government pubs were closing at a rate of 54 a week—four times as many. Will he apologise for the Labour party having let down pubs so...

That is a frankly disappointing contribution from the hon. Gentleman. One key point that people may reflect on is that there are now 2,582 fewer pubs than in 2010.

That is a frankly disappointing contribution from the hon. Gentleman. One key point that people may reflect on is that there are now 2,582 fewer pubs than in 2010.

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Let me respond to the hon. Gentleman’s first point before he makes a second one. Using his logic, we could eventually have only 15 pubs left and he would say that was a great success because only 15 have closed this week. As the overall stock reduces there have obviously...

Let me respond to the hon. Gentleman’s first point before he makes a second one. Using his logic, we could eventually have only 15 pubs left and he would say that was a great success because only 15 have closed this week. As the overall stock reduces there have obviously...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I will give way, but let me make a little progress first. I myself am an enthusiastic intervener and I want to give opportunities to Members to intervene, but I know that this debate is considerably over-subscribed, so I must try to strike a balance.

An opportunity for fairness now exists...

I will give way, but let me make a little progress first. I myself am an enthusiastic intervener and I want to give opportunities to Members to intervene, but I know that this debate is considerably over-subscribed, so I must try to strike a balance.

An opportunity for fairness now exists...

My hon. Friend has rightly named the heroes of this debate but he should also name the villains—the pubcos and companies such as Punch Taverns. He will be familiar with my constituents Joe and Betty Hynes, who had to close one of their pubs—the other is under threat—because of the...

My hon. Friend has rightly named the heroes of this debate but he should also name the villains—the pubcos and companies such as Punch Taverns. He will be familiar with my constituents Joe and Betty Hynes, who had to close one of their pubs—the other is under threat—because of the...

My hon. Friend understandably feels incredibly passionate about the experiences of people in his constituency and the impact that this issue has had on real people’s lives and his community. That is why we are having this debate and so much research has gone into it, and why we are...

My hon. Friend understandably feels incredibly passionate about the experiences of people in his constituency and the impact that this issue has had on real people’s lives and his community. That is why we are having this debate and so much research has gone into it, and why we are...

May I commend the Opposition on bringing forward these proposals and commend the Government on doing so as well? Will the shadow Minister please inform the House what the cost implications will be to the Government of allowing pubs to transfer from a tied to a tie-free licence?

May I commend the Opposition on bringing forward these proposals and commend the Government on doing so as well? Will the shadow Minister please inform the House what the cost implications will be to the Government of allowing pubs to transfer from a tied to a tie-free licence?