SBPA accepts glass ruling costs cheque

March 30, 2007: The Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA) has received over £19,000 from the City of Glasgow Council in costs awarded following the SBPA's legal challenge to the Glasgow Licensing Board's attempted blanket ban on the use of glass in the city's pubs and clubs last year.

The SBPA was due to pursue the action in the Court of Session in Edinburgh last June, but the board met a couple of days before and significantly
amended its policy, leading to the court case being dropped. As a result the SBPA was awarded 80% of its costs incurred to that date.

Patrick Browne, chief executive of the SBPA, said his organisation was glad that the matter had now been settled.

He added: "The industry remains in full support of policies designed to target and tackle the violent thugs who use glass as a weapon, but we believe that the
use of plastic bottles or toughened glass is best determined on a premises-
by-premises basis where problems exist, and not across the board as was
originally attempted by the Glasgow Licensing Board.

"The SBPA will continue to seek to represent the concerns and interests of
its members going forward and will not hesitate to seek legal clarification
of any policies being undertaken by any of Scotland's Licensing Boards where
this is deemed necessary."