Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging mediation between pub tenants and Pub Operating Businesses for rent disputes resulting from Market Rent Only proceedings.

The UK Government published the third statutory review of the Pubs Code and the Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) covering 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025 on 14 September 2026. The review concluded that the Pubs Code is operating consistently with its two core statutory principles.

The Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) has statutory functions in relation to the enforcement of the Code and the resolution of certain disputes. Where parties are engaged in Market Rent Only proceedings, they may choose to seek to resolve matters through discussion, negotiation, mediation or other forms of alternative dispute resolution where appropriate.