COMMUNITY PUBS WEEK

That this House supports the Campaign for Real Ale's Community Pubs Week on 16th to 23rd February; believes that community pubs play a hugely important function in the communities they serve; further believes that community pubs, as places to meet others in the community, provide an environment in which people can and do enjoy alcohol responsibly and therefore have a very important role in producing an appropriate culture for people to drink in; further believes that if there was more emphasis on this genuine pub culture we would not have many of the problems associated with excessive drinking; further believes that community pubs, whether in urban, suburban or rural areas, are part of the heritage of the United Kingdom and must be preserved; notes with concern and regret that 26 community pubs a month are closing and that action must be taken to address this, including addressing the issue of some pub companies charging unreasonable rents; and further believes that legislation should be introduced to make it much more difficult to close pubs against the wishes of local communities and to end the right without planning permission to demolish or convert pubs to residential use.