Government appoints Minister for Pubs

February 8, 2010: The industry has given broad backing to the appointment of John Healey MP as Minister for Pubs.

Better late than never, some might say, the Government has given Mr Healey and a group of five fellow task force MPs, the task of drawing up a strategy to save Britain's pubs.

British Beer and Pubs Association director of communications, Mark Hastings, was in favour of one person being a central point of contact regarding pubs when so many government departments impact upon the industry.

Steve Corbett, of the Fair Pint campaign, said it showed how important the Prime Minister considered the pubs issue to be in the run-up to the general election.

A Government spokesperson said: "Ministers recognise the important role pubs can play in maintaining community life, and there is concern across Government about the number of community pubs that have been forced to close during the recession. Ministers are determined to tackle this and give them a helping hand during these tough economic times.

"Government action cannot sustain pubs that are fundamentally, but it is right to do everything possible to support those pubs that play an important community role. This could include any necessary revisions to planning policy that allow pubs to offer extra services and support for community ownership."