Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has provided to local authorities on assessing the social and economic value of a pub to the local area; and if he will make a statement of the effectiveness of that guidance.

The Government has not issued guidance to local authorities on assessing the social and economic value of their local pubs. However, the British Beer and Pub Association estimate that each pub contributes £80,000 each year to its local economy and that the UK pubs industry as a whole supports 900,000 jobs.