Declares that the Petitioners believe that it is unfair that Claire and Scott face eviction from Patternmakers Arms, a well-attended and happy pub, as a result of unreasonable increases in rent prices and further that the Government have consulted on establishing a Statutory Code and an independent Adjudicator for the pub sector to govern the relationship between large pub companies and their tenants.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to establish a Code to govern the relationship between large pub companies and their tenants as a matter of urgency.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Pauline Latham, Official Report, 30 April 2014; Vol. 579, c. 962.]
[P001343]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills:
BIS has been informed that Claire and Scott Muldoon no longer face eviction from the Pattenmakers Arms as Mrs Muldoon has agreed a new lease with Enterprise Inns plc.
The Petitioners’ belief that the Government have consulted on establishing a Statutory Code and an independent Adjudicator for the pub sector to govern the relationship between large pub companies and their tenants is correct. On 3 June 2014 the Government published their Response to that consultation and also their Response to the House of Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Committee’s Fourth Report of Session 2013-14: Consultation on a Statutory Code for Pub Companies.
Those Responses stated that the Government intend to establish a Statutory Code and an independent Adjudicator to govern the relationship between pub owning businesses—not just large ones—and their tied tenants.
The Petitioners called for the Statutory Code to be established as a matter of urgency. On 4 June Her Majesty the Queen announced that the Government would introduce a Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill. This will include measures to establish the Statutory Code and independent Adjudicator and is planned to be introduced in the House of Lords in June 2014.