Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a guest beer agreement scheme for pubs as part of (a) the Pubs Code and Pubs Code Adjudicator: statutory review and post-implementation review, 2022 to 2025 and (b) the review on retaining and expanding access to pubs for small brewers, as referenced in paragraph 2.44 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC295.

The Government recognises that independent breweries are essential to the diversity and character of our pubs. We're currently assessing the beer market to determine whether there are any structural barriers preventing small brewers from accessing pubs.

This review specifically references market access for small brewers, and will cover all subcategories of the pub sector, including leased and tenanted pubs. It will not, however, consider the merits of different pub models. We’re considering the review’s findings and will announce in due course any measures that may need to be taken.

The Pubs Code (the Code) applies to large pub-owning businesses with 500 or more tied pubs in England and Wales, covering around 8,000 pubs. Separate to the beer market review, the Government is currently conducting a statutory review into the operation of the Pubs Code and the performance of the Pubs Code Adjudicator. Alongside this statutory review, the Government is also conducting a Post Implementation Review (PIR) which will consider the Pub Code’s impact since it was introduced in 2016