bingo halls closing

BINGO halls across the North-East could close following a profits warning since the smoking ban.

Players are deserting slot machines and half-time games, which clubs rely on for income, and instead are opting to go outside to smoke.

Four months on from the ban, bingo bosses have also blamed the game’s heavy taxation and predicted that one in three clubs will close.

Mike Higgins, general manager of the Heaton Bingo and Social Club, Newcastle, said taxes on slot machines were unfair.

He said: “Every pound we make on the slot machines is taxed at around 17.5 % VAT and 15 % Gross Profits Tax (GPT) which is 32.5p in a pound we are paying in tax.

“We can’t offer any £2-a-go machines any more and they have taken machines away from us, we are only allowed a maximum of four now.”

Mr Higgins added there had been a big difference in revenue since July 1, when the smoking ban came into force.

Dan Waugh, director of investor relations for the Rank Group, which operates bingo chain Mecca, said there had been a profits warning earlier this month. He said the chain closed 11 of its clubs earlier this year because they were not making enough money.

“We take about 30% of revenue from slot machines and that has been affected by people going outside to smoke,” he added.

“However, a bigger problem is that we have been forced to remove our most popular machines from the club.

“Part of the reason is not just the smoking ban, but also that bingo is the most heavily taxed form of gambling and we just don’t understand the government’s policy.

“The Bingo Association estimates that one in three bingo clubs will close and there has been research to show that when this happens there will be a huge social effect in the community.”

Gran-of-one Lesley Stockdale has been playing bingo for more than 20 years.

The 60-year-old smoker, from Third Avenue, Heaton, Newcastle, said: “I would say the ban has affected a lot of people. They go outside during the breaks whereas before we could walk around the place and smoke and play the games inside.”

A spokesman for the Treasury said the effective rate of taxation faced by the bingo industry is within the same range that applies to lottery duty, gaming duty and machines taxation.

He added: “The Government does not believe the tax system is at the root of the current problems faced by the bingo industry and we are not convinced that there is a tax solution to these problems.”
http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news

Louisville Businesses ignore smoking ban

Louisville Businesses ignore smoking ban
LOUISVILLE, KY
Since a Louisville smoking ban went into effect in July, the health department has issued more than 120 citations, but some businesses continue to ignore it.

One business has been cited 23 times for fines of $7,000 but has not paid a cent.

The owner of another business said he doesn't bother to enforce the ban because he thinks it is unconstitutional and several owners are fighting it in court.
City officials are now looking into whether they can legally revoke or suspend an organization's charitable gaming license or a business's liquor license as punishment for repeat offenders.
http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/ky/news9.shtml

smoking ban destroys bingo

smoking ban destroys bingo
Bingo eh? Not everyones cup of tea,but plenty play it,and the last few years there has been efforts made to attract younger players and to build super venues with every creature comfort. I am told they provide cheap food and reasonably priced drinks. The elderly use them a lot as a social outlet and to maybe win a few quid. So,in a commercial way,they provide a service to a community,a meeting point for people who may not use pubs. I would think a lot of users are not hardcore gamblers and probably would never play on line-they can meet friends and socialise in a safe environment and the community can keep an eye on some of its elderly and vulnerable.

I would also think that for the conveniance of all users,they would be happy to build indoor smoking rooms? But this ban does not allow that,so smoking bingo players are not going,non smoking bingo players will lose out and halls will close,jobs will be lost-is the UK smoking ban working? I think not,I just hope national newspapers pick up on this story:

smoking ban destroys bingo


One in three bingo halls could close because of the smoking ban.

The Sunday Mirror reported that about 600,000 customers have been lost since 1 July – a 20% drop.

Industry experts claim 200 of the country's 634 clubs are at risk.

But new rules on gaming have also contributed to the crisis after clubs were forced to remove hundreds of £500 jackpot machines.

Bingo Association's Paul Talboys told the paper: "The fabric of whole neighbourhoods will change."
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news_detail.aspx?articleid=52710

Landlords rubbish smoke ban survey

Landlords rubbish smoke ban survey

A SURVEY which claims the majority of pub bosses do not want the smoking ban to be overturned has been rubbished by landlords in Bolton.

Research by drink firm, Britvic and trade magazine, The Publican, shows 73 per cent of people surveyed said they would not back moves to reverse the controversial law.

But the findings was last night questioned by Bolton pub chiefs.

John Jewitt, landlord of The Man of Scythe in Churchgate, said: "I am amazed at the survey and I would like to see the finer details of it.

"Pubs in towns in the north of England like Bolton, which are not in the town centres, are having a rough time of it. It is affecting the level of trade.

"Personally I would not like to see the ban overturned, but I am lucky, I am in the town centre and have a beer garden. But I can't see the majority of landlords having this stance."

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Chris Hayes, landlord of The Howcroft Inn in Pool Street, Bolton, said the ban had seen trade drop - despite the pub having a smoking shelter.

He said: "I disagree with the findings. This is a traditional pub, not like the bigger chain pubs and pubs which are really restaurants. Trade has fallen dramatically and the traditional pub atmosphere has gone."

Carol Bretherton, the manageress of the Ainsworth Arms in Halliwell said it was too early to say whether the smoking ban should be overturned.

She said: "Because of the mild weather smokers have gone outside and trade has been the same. We will know more once the cold weather starts."

The Publican editor Caroline Nodder said some pubs had attracted more customers, sold more soft drinks and more food because of the smoking ban.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/

Third smoke rebel "selling up and moving to Spain"

Third smoke rebel "selling up and moving to Spain"
26 October, 2007

By James Wilmore

Bolton licensee Nick Hogan also calls it a day

The third smoke ban rebel Nick Hogan has today also confirmed he is “selling up and moving to Spain”.

With the other two rebels – Hamish Howitt and Tony Blows – revealing their intentions to sell, Hogan’s decision may come as little surprise.

Hogan, lessee at the Swan and Barristers bar in Bolton, told thepublican.com it was “close to being sold”. Thirty-two years currently remain on the 35-year lease.

His other pub, the Swan with Two Necks, is being placed on the market today.


Asked the reason he was selling up, Hogan said: “The Labour government.” He added he was moving to Spain with Howitt to open a bar that would "appeal to Brits".

He was facing a showdown with the owner of the Swan and Barristers, former Provence chief Paul Kiely, over claims that he had breached the terms of his lease by allowing people to smoke on the premises.

However, Hogan claims the matter has been settled and their High Court showdown, due for November 1, will not happen.

He is still due to appear at Bolton magistrates on November 12 for alleged breaches of the smoking ban
http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?sectioncode=7&storycode=57459&c=1

Smoke rebel Blows pleads not guilty

Smoke rebel Blows pleads not guilty
26 October, 2007

By James Wilmore

Herefordshire licensee Tony Blows' case adjourned until January 21

Smoke ban rebel Tony Blows has pleaded not guilty to three charges under the new smoking ban legislation.

Blows, licensee of the Dog Inn at Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire, pleaded not guilty today to two charges of not enforcing the ban in his pub and one charge of smoking on the premises himself.


The case at Hereford magistrates court was adjourned until January 21, 2008.

Blows was not present in court and was represented by his solicitor Matt Lewis.
http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?storycode=57458

Nick Hogan files for bancrupcy

Smoke ban rebel Nick Hogan has settled his case against former Provence boss Paul Kiely to remain at the Swan and Barristers in Bolton.

However, his future is still unclear after a notice appeared in the Bolton Evening News that a company called "Chipmunk City Ltd t/a the Swan" had called for a meeting under the Insolvency Act. Its director is Nick Hogan.

The MA could not reach Hogan or the pub but his solicitor Andrew Haffner of Manchester law firm Stripes said: "Nick is still at the pub. We have settled with the Kielys and agreed Nick is to stay at the pub."

Hogan was set to face former Provence boss and owner of the pub Paul Kiely at Manchester High Court on 1 November.

Kiely argued that Hogan had broken the terms of his lease by allegedly flouting the smoking ban.

Hogan is also due before magistrates on 12 November on charges of flouting the ban.

Earlier today, the news broke that the other two high profile rebels – Hamish Howitt and Tony Blows – had both decided to sell up.
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news_detail.aspx?articleid=52643

Hamish Howitt selling up?

A second of the trinity of smoke ban rebels has put his pub up for sale.

Hamish Howitt, owner of Delboy’s Sports Bar which incorporates Happy Scot karaoke bar in Blackpool, has put the freehold on the market with GA-Select for £600,000.

This follows the decision by Tony Blows of the Dog Inn, Dog Inn in Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire to also sell up with same company.

Why didn’t the big brewers and pubcos fight this ban? I have spent £40,000 on my campaign and I know I am facing bankruptcy

Earlier this week, Howitt’s premises licence review was put back a month to allow health and safety improvements to be made.

He faces a court appearance on 5 November for flouting the ban.

“I’ve worked my guts out here for 11 years but they are going to take me for every penny,” Howitt told the morningadvertiser.co.uk.

“This is a working class pub and they want to smoke. You can’t run karaoke when people have to go outside to smoke. I have also now lost some locals because they fear getting a £50 fine for smoking which they can’t afford.

“Why didn’t the big brewers and pubcos fight this ban? I have spent £40,000 on my campaign and I know I am facing bankruptcy.

“I don’t think I will ever have a pub again – I can’t see myself running an eating pub serving mineral water and orange juices.”

Much like Blows, Howitt said he will see the court case through to the bitter end even if he has sold his pub by then.

News on the third smoke ban rebel, Nick Hogan of the Swan and Barristers in Bolton, will be posted here later today.
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news_detail.aspx?articleid=52640

Tony Blows,Dog Inn selling up

Smoke ban rebel Tony Blows is quitting the trade – an announcement which comes on the day he pleaded not guilty in court for flouting the ban.

Blows did not appear in person before magistrates this morning to enter his "not guilty" plea.

He is accused of smoking himself and allowing others to on 4 August at the Dog Inn in Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire.


It has really come to something when I can't even smoke in my own pub
Tony Blows
Dog Inn
He faces further charges of failing in his duty to stop customers smoking in the pub on 23 July by Herefordshire council.

The case has been adjourned until 21 January.

"I am fed up and have put the pub on the market," he said. "The smoking ban was the final straw. It has really come to something when I can't even smoke in my own pub."

The 48 year free of tie lease is on the market with GA-Select for an asking price of £125,000.

"It is priced to sell," said Blows. "My health has gone downhill and I have diabetes. After 30 years in the trade, it's time to retire."

However, Freedom To Choose member Blows has vowed to continue his fight against the smoking ban and will see his court case through.

His defence rests on the fact that he has “done his bit” by informing all his customers of the law but that he cannot risk the safety of his staff by making them enforce it.

“Because of the Health and Safety Executive’s violence in the workplace legislation I can’t ask my staff to enforce the ban."


http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news_detail.aspx?articleid=52636

The English Pub (RIP)

The English Pub (RIP)
I am sorry to have to inform everyone that the great British pub is in even more serious decline than is apparently evident, due to interfering law makers.

Nipping round the corner to the Wheatsheaf the other night, I assumed that the fire alarm had gone off as a large crowd was gathered outside.

Not hearing the sound of an approaching fire engine, I entered the bar and found it nearly deserted, save for a barmaid texting a message to her beau.

I inquired if there was a fire on the premises and was thankful to be informed that there was not.

The simple reason the bar was deserted was because everyone was outside having a smoke.

The majority of the anti-smoking zealots visit boozers about as often as the Queen has a baby, and frequent trendy wine bars and other so-called class establishments, as is their prerogative.

Long gone are the days of the roaring log fire, a friendly welcome, good locally-brewed ale, an enjoyable smoke and convivial pint - they are now all but distant memories.

Even worse is to come as council inspectors are soon to do the rounds to ascertain what enjoyments are on offer to amuse the clientele - darts teams, dartboards, Aunt Sally pitches, TVs showing football, crib teams, etc.

They are now deemed to be reasons to increase the business rates on the property, with the inevitable result being another increase in the price of drink.

At this rate, in the not-to-distant future, we can expect to see drink dispensers installed where the pubs used to be, fitted with facial recognition hardware allowing only the Government recommended amounts of units to be metered out into reyclable plastic cups.

So get your cameras out and take a few snaps of your local so you can show your grandchildren what a pub looked like.

A few years ago, I built my own mobile pub, 'Waspy's mini bar'. I wish I still had it.

TONY ANCHORS, Didcot

http://www.oxfordmail.net/news/letters
http://www.tinyurl.com/yrgv2s

Cheddar businessman protesting against smoking ban

Cheddar businessman protesting against smoking ban
A CHEDDAR businessman has been organising marches all over the country to protest against the smoking ban.

Chris Elliot, aged 30, who runs Starstruck Karaoke with his partner Paul Toole, held a march through Bristol on Saturday with more than 250 people taking part.

The campaigner, who was one of the first people in the country to be fined for smoking indoors since the ban came into force, has said he would rather go to jail than give up smoking in his company vehicle.

He said: "We've held three marches now, in Wells, Glastonbury and Bristol, and we have another one planned in February.

"We want to get a modification on the law. We are not unreasonable, we don't expect it to be totally lifted, but we would like pub owners to be able to choose whether their venue is a smoking or non smoking pub. The other option is to have special smoking rooms for people."

Chris, who runs a weekly show at the Bath Arms in Cheddar, claims his business has greatly suffered as a result of the ban.

He said: "Numbers in pubs are dwindling because people just aren't coming out anymore. Smokers have to go outside and we end up playing to an empty room."

Chris, from Wells, is looking for more support on the next march which will be taking place in London on February 14, to coincide with the date the Government decided to impose the smoking ban.

Anyone interested in going along to the protest can find out more at www.freedom 2choose.info or by calling Chris on 07885 437854
http://tinyurl.com/yw8vq7
http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/

Smoking ban 'has put club's future in doubt'

Smoking ban 'has put club's future in doubt'
THE smoking ban jeopardising the future of Darlington's oldest working men's club, members will be told at their annual meeting next month.

"I'm hoping it won't come to closure, I really am - it would be the saddest day of my life, but the alarm bells are starting to ring," said Stan Summers, president of the Darlington Club.

The ban is one of three major legislative changes which are losing the 106-year-old club in High Northgate a tenth of its income.

As well as facing increasing competition from cheap supermarket alcohol, the club is having to cover the cost of changes to the licensing and gambling laws.

"The changes are costing us £300 to £500 a week," said Mr Summers. "You will see a number of working men's clubs disappear because I can't see many being able to sustain these type of losses. That's £15,000 a year at least, possibly £25,000.

"We raise thousands of pounds a year for charities and that's going to suffer, the community spirit will suffer, and so will things like our outings and Christmas parties for old people.

"We believe we provide something for the community, and that will go. People feel safe in our club because we police it and manage it. They feel comfortable in it

"I can't see things improving unless we can wave a magic wand."

The club has just under 1,000 members - about half of whom are active - and is one of six affiliated to the Club and Institute Union (CIU) in the town.

This year's gaming licence has cost it £2,000 whereas last year's cost £150.

The club feels it is enforcing the smoking ban to the letter of the law by having an expensive canopy but some town centre pubs are just allowing smokers to spill out onto the streets. The CIU argued that working men's clubs should be regarded as private clubs and so exempt from the ban, but Parliament rejected this plea.

Mr Summers will report to the club's annual meeting on November 27 the results of a meeting with Darlington MP Alan Milburn.

Mr Milburn said: "I visited the club to hear the concerns they have about the impact of various charges and regulations. I have asked the club to give me a full run down of the charges they're having to make. I have offered to take up the club's concerns with ministers in the Treasury."

Mr Summers, who joined the club in 1960 in the footsteps of his father who joined in 1926, said: "I am going to be informing people of the circumstances. We are going to have to see about cutting our cloth somehow. Where we are going to make the cuts, I don't know.

"There will have to be some soul searching. I have told the committee they have to come up with ideas."

http://tinyurl.com/2gf3pc
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk

Smoking ban blamed for sale of pub

Smoking ban blamed for sale of pub
A disgruntled customer is thought to have daubed this message on a door of The Pack Horse pub in Chazy Heath
THE pumps have run dry at a Chazey Heath pub thanks to the introduction of the smoking ban, according to one disgruntled regular.

The entrance to The Pack Horse, on the A4074 Woodcote Road, has been daubed with the message “Very sorry we are closed. Thanks Labour + smoking ban” after it closed its doors earlier this month.

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/2016/2016798/smoking_ban_blamed_for_sale_of_pub?rss=yes

Pub faces legal action over smoke odour

Pub faces legal action over smoke odour
25 October, 2007

By James Wilmore

Complaint from neighbour prompts threat from local council

A licensee is facing legal action for letting smoke drift into his neighbour’s garden.

In what is believed to be the first episode of its kind, Jeff Castledine, licensee of the Queens Head in Boreham, Chelmsford, has received a letter from Chelmsford Borough Council following a complaint about “nuisance caused by odour from cigarette smoke”.

The council told Castledine it would monitor his pub “to determine if odour nuisances are being caused”, in breach of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

If the council decides a “nuisance” exists, it is threatening to serve Castledine with an abatement notice, forcing him to stop or reduce the problem.

The situation will add to fears in the trade that the smoking ban could be extended to include other outside areas, similar to legislation being introduced in the US.

Chelmsford council has sent a logsheet to the Essex pub’s neighbour who has complained, asking them to make a note of when they are being disturbed by the “odour”.

The letter to Castledine, seen exclusively by The Publican, goes on to state: “I would wish to settle this complaint without such legal action, so request that you consider if any such odours from cigarette smoke are likely to cause nuisance to your neighbours. If so, your prompt action to resolve the matter would be much appreciated.”

Despite receiving a visit from a council officer prior to the letter, Castledine was outraged when it arrived.

He said: “I try to be a good neighbour, and there’s only ever six or seven people out there smoking at a time. The ban has already forced people outside. What are they trying to do – close down village pubs?”

“I try to be a good neighbour, and there’s only ever six or seven people out there smoking at a time.”


The licensee, who has also submitted a planning application for a smoking shelter in his beer garden, added that most of his customers smoked around 20 metres from the six-foot fence that separates him from his residential neighbour.

In response, a spokeswoman for the council said it had a duty to investigate complaints.

She added: “No action would be taken unless monitoring visits have been made and officers have decided that the smoke/odour is so unreasonable at a nearby property that it amounts to a statutory nuisance.”


A word of warning...

A senior licensing lawyer is warning licensees to keep a close eye on their outdoor areas as pubs, councils – and neighbours – get to grips with the first winter of smoke-free trading in England and Wales.

Jeremy Allen, a senior partner at licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen, said the Chelmsford case was the first time he had heard of the Environmental Protection Act being used in this way. However he added he was “not surprised”.

“Councils are looking to deal with the nuisances caused by external smoking,” he said. “There’s a long way to go with smoking, every licensee with an external area needs to keep an eye on what’s happening.”

• Are smoking odours causing you problems with your neighbours? Call the newsdesk on 020 7955 3713 or email news@thepublican.com
http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?storycode=57445

first uk outdoor smoking ban?

NOW YOU CAN’T SMOKE OUTSIDE!
The outdoor smoking ban is gaining pace in America,now catching on in this country.If you have followed the news you will have seen reports about noise,litter and smokey doorways and smoke drifting to outdoors tables where people eat-they will push for outdoor exclusion zones,this is a start:


Smoking outside is now banned in and around play areas in Exeter under a bold new initiative aimed at protecting children's health.

It is believed Exeter City Council is one of the first local authorities in the country to take the action, which has been broadly welcomed by parents.


One hundred no smoking signs have been put up at 50 playgrounds in the city by the authority.

The council believes the radical move is the next logical step following the nationwide banning of smoking in enclosed public spaces in July.

http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk
http://tinyurl.com/96q42

Smoking ban violates human rights

Smoking ban violates human rights
Employees of the municipality of Levanger had to completely abstain from smoking during their working hours. The county administrator (Fylkesmann) claims such a strict ban contravenes human rights and has now repealed the controversial prohibition, newspaper Trønder-Avisa reports.
"A good day for us. The Fylkesmann's ruling shows that democracy works. We have said all along that government or municipal rulings could not contravene Norwegian law. Now everyone must see that we are right," said Progress Party representatives Birger Meinhardt and Steinar Holten, who celebrated their victory for local smokers by lighting up cigars.

Levanger's extremely strict anti-smoking law, which also prevented employees from lighting up in the privacy of their own cars during office hours, was ruled a breach of the European Human Rights Convention by the county administrator, who found that the right to smoke was part of the right to a private life.

The municipal administration and labor unions had earlier expressed that their employees were happy with the tough anti-smoking law and deemed it a success.
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article772700.ece

Unveiled: radical prescription for our health crisis

A radical plan to persuade people to stop smoking, take more exercise and change their diets was proposed last night by a leading Government adviser.

As new figures were published yesterday showing that England tops the European league as the fattest nation in the EU, Professor Julian Le Grand, chair of Health England and a former senior Downing Street aide to Tony Blair, said a completely fresh approach was required by Government to reverse the epidemic of obesity and to tackle similar ills caused by "excess consumption".

In a speech to the Royal Statistical Society last night, Professor Le Grand said instead of requiring people to make healthy choices – by giving up smoking, taking more exercise and eating less salt – policies should be framed so the healthy option is automatic and people have to choose deliberately to depart from it.

Among his suggestions are a proposal for a smoking permit, which smokers would have to produce when buying cigarettes, an "exercise hour" to be provided by all large companies for their employees and a ban on salt in processed food.

The idea, dubbed "libertarian paternalism", reverses the traditional government approach that requires individuals to opt in to healthy schemes. Instead, they would have to opt out to make the unhealthy choice, by buying a smoking permit, choosing not to participate in the exercise hour or adding salt at the table.

By preserving individual choice, the approach could be defended against charges of a "nanny state," he said. "Some people say this is paternalism squared. But at a fundamental level, you are not being made to do anything. It is not like banning something, it is not prohibition. It is a softer form of paternalism."

The proposal is in line with plans under consideration at the Department of Health. Yesterday, it was revealed Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, is considering routinely sending parents details of height and weight measurements of their children at ages 5 and 10, so they are aware if their children are becoming obese. Under the current arrangements, parents are only given the information if they request it.

A report published yesterday shows England has the highest proportion of heavyweight adults in the European Union with 24.2 per cent of the population designated obese. The Health Profile of England 2007, published yesterday, reveals the obesity rate in this country is almost twice that in Germany (12.9 per cent) and two and a half times that in France (9.4 per cent.) An obese person dies on average nine years earlier than a person of normal weight and those who are extremely obese (with a body mass index over 45) have their lives cut short by an average of 13 years.

In his speech, Professor Le Grand attacked the report from the Foresight group of scientific experts published last week, which blamed the obesity explosion on an "obesogenic" environment where energy dense cheap food was readily available and sedentary lifestyles were the norm and said individuals could no longer be held responsible.

He said the analysis was "not very helpful" and presented the growth of obesity as so enormous and complex a problem that solving it seemed impossible.

"Saying it is all the fault of society invites a nihilistic response, that nothing can work short of a revolution. We need new thinking and new ideas. We face new health challenges from obesity and old ones from smoking which add up to something of a crisis. There is a real risk that our children will die at a younger age than us," he said.

On smoking, he said permits could be issued annually and the signature of a doctor might even be needed. This would require individuals to "opt-in" each year to being a smoker, rather than "opting out" by choosing to give up.

"Sellers of tobacco from supermarkets to tobacconists would have to see the permit before any sale. To get a permit would involve filling out a form and supplying a photograph as well as paying the required fee. Permits would only be issued to those over 18 and evidence of age would have to be provided. The money raised for the permits would go to the NHS."

Time for employees to take exercise during the working day, a ban on salt in processed food, restrictions on the sale of alcohol, and an extension of the free fruit scheme for children, are also among ideas that deserve investigation, he added.

Professor Le Grand said the public health challenge was very different from half a century ago when William Beveridge founded the welfare state to tackle the "five giants" of want, disease, squalor, ignorance and idleness.

"His giants could be described as the giants of too little: too little income, too little work, too little education, too little housing, too little health care. Today's giants are the giants of too much."

Betty McBride, public affairs manager of the British Heart Foundation said: "This sounds like nanny as Major General. We would have a problem with the smoking permit because it might suggest smoking was alright once you had the permit. But overall this is exactly the kind of thinking we need to be doing, asking tough questions and turning things on their head."

Changing the nation's health habits

* Smoking permits

Individuals would be required to buy a smoking permit, renewable each year, which they would have to show in supermarkets and tobacconists before buying tobacco. Instead of making a New Year's resolution not to smoke, individuals would have to choose to be smokers. The permit fee would be re-invested in the National Health Service.

* The exercise hour

Companies with more than 500 employees would be required to designate an hour in the working day as the "exercise hour" and to provide facilities to enable workers to take exercise. Employees could then "opt out" by choosing not to participate, rather than opting in as they have to do now.

* Zero tolerance on salt

Food manufacturers would be banned from adding salt to processed foods which is a major cause of high blood pressure. This would hand control of the salt content to the consumer who could choose to "opt out" of the healthy product by adding salt at the table

* Restricting alcohol sales

Supermarkets could be required to sell alcohol separately from groceries requiringconsumers to queue twice.Alternatively, the sale ofalcohol could be restricted to off licences (as used to be the case in the US), requiring an extra journey – and extra effort – by the consumer.

* Free fruit

The scheme for handing out free fruit to primary school children each day could be extended to secondary school children. Companies could also be enrolled to provide free fruit to employees. The UK is below the European average for consumption of fruit and vegetables.

* Letters to parents

Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, is considering sending parents details of their children's weight measurements at the ages of 5 and 10. This is so that parents can make an assessment as to whether their kids are becoming obese. The information is currently only provided on request.
http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article3087276.ece

another pub to close?

Entrepreneur closes pub after staff do moonlight flit to Poland

By Mark Hughes

A COUNTRY pub owned by one of Cumbria’s best-known entrepreneurs has shut down after his staff did a moonlight flit back to Poland.

And owner Austen Davies says The Centurion Inn, at Walton, is uncertain as to whether the pub will re-open as the new smoking ban has all but killed his trade.

The pub, on the Hadrian’s Wall route, closed its doors last month after the two women managing it disappeared overnight – leaving a note on the door explaining they had gone home to Poland.

Mr Davies, who has had The Centurion Inn for the past five years, said: “Everything was fine on the Sunday when they closed the pub, but when my wife went there on Monday morning she found a note on the door which said they had gone back to Poland.

“We were very disappointed because we had known them for more than a year. We took them in and gave them jobs and a home and this is how they re-pay us.

“I suppose you’ve got to laugh when you think of the circumstances, but I can tell you, it wasn’t funny at the time.”

Mr Davies’ wife, Jackie, and son, Cy, ran the pub for four weeks after the women’s sudden departure, but he said sticking with that arrangement wasn’t viable.

Mr Davies, who owns Border Country Foods, added: “They have both got full-time jobs and so couldn’t keep doing their day jobs as well as running the pub. We had to make a decision.

“If the pub had been packed every night then we would have kept it going but it isn’t.

“The truth is the smoking ban has hit us hard.

“Through the spring right up until autumn we are very much a walkers’ refuge and we get a good flow of people walking the wall coming in.

“But come October, and that is all but done, we are dependant on local trade and we have seen that disappear to the smallest of trickles since July.

“This is a farming area and most of our clientele are smokers.

“They like to go out for a beer and a smoke. Since that has been taken away from them they are not coming to the pub.

“It was a horrible decision to close the place and I say that from a very serious standpoint.

“I thoroughly look forward to my pint at the end of the day and I know many others do too. With no pub in the area we have nowhere to go.”

But while it may appear that last orders has been called for the final time in The Centurion Inn, Mr Davies says he is still mulling over his long-term options for the pub, and says it could even open again next year.

He added: “We are down, but we are not out. We are going to use the next few months to refurbish the place and hopefully we will be back open again as soon as possible.

“However, at the moment, I do not know when that will be. There are too many factors to take into account, the principle one being finding someone to work there and run the place.”

http://www.cumberland-news.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=555419

Smoking ban means number's up for bingo hall

Smoking ban means number's up for bingo hall
By Corey Stephenson

HUNDREDS of bingo players have been left without their local hall because of the smoking ban.

Despite New Century Bingo in Woolston, Southampton, having more than 4,500 members on their books and seeing some 1,500 regulars every week, bosses at the venue say it cannot carry on with people heading outside to smoke or staying at home to play online games on the internet.

Members who regularly travel from miles across the city to the hall, which was converted from The Picturehouse cinema more than 30 years ago, say they have lost a vital community centre and that many elderly residents in the east side of the city have grown to depend on it.
http://www.thisishampshire.net/news/hampshirenews/display.var.1775929.0.smoking_ban_means_numbers_up_for_bingo_hall.php

"I've been coming here since it was a Picturehouse in the 1970s, and remember watching Bridge Over The River Kwai," said bingo fan Mary Allott from Thornhill.

"Then I came to play bingo and have been coming all these years, I don't know what I will do now it is closed."

Pam Holmes, 74, from Kanes Hill, said she came to play bingo with her husband before he died.

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"He loved coming here and I still come here because it feels like the only place I can still be with him. Now that it's closing I have to say goodbye to him again," she said.

Staff at the New Century Bingo hall said they were also sad to leave and said an emotional goodbye to members as they played their final games at the venue in Portsmouth Road yesterday.

"It is very sad for members who have been coming here for years and it's also sad for Woolston," said bingo caller Kevin Greenman. Some of the staff are being moved to New Century Bingo's second Southampton venue in Shirley and others have taken voluntary redundancy.

Assistant manager Rachel Edwards said it was sad they had to close suddenly but she believed the company had no choice. "We have suffered since the smoking ban and there's also the problem of online bingo everywhere and that has hit everyone."

Miss Edwards said the company was also thinking about the future of bingo in the area and that they would lose out to national company Gala when it opens the planned store in Thornhill as part of the £25m complex planned for the old Jewson builder's merchants in Bursledon Road.

"It is a sad day for people in Woolston," she added.

Paul Redwood, acting manager of New Century Bingo in Shirley said: "Unfortunately the smoking ban is affecting bingo halls around the country. Many independent places have closed or are closing."

Mr Redwood said the company had no plans to close the venue in Shirley and added that at the moment it is not yet known what will happen to the historic Woolston building.

It is safe to drink alcohol over the recommended limit, says health adviser

It is safe to drink alcohol over the recommended limit, says health adviser


Do you trust our Government or their health advisors? You should read this article twice because the Government has been tellink us for over 20 years how much to drink,on the advice of health officials who MADE IT UP. Yes the 21/14 units of booze a week was made up. In fact you could drink up to 63 units a week before you have seriuos health problems.So moderation in all things? And have ASH been lieing about the dangers of second hand smoke and pressurising the government to bring in smoking bans?

"It is safe to drink alcohol over the recommended limit, says health adviser"

You can drink above the official recommended alcohol guidelines quite safely, a member of the Government's Health Committee admitted yesterday.




Retired GP Richard Taylor said: "Although I would still endorse the old Government limits, I would add the rider that if you step outside them within reason, it will not do you any harm."

His advice came after a member of the Royal College of Physicians working party - which set the limits 20 years ago - said they were "not based on very much scientific evidence".

The recommended weekly drinking limits are 21 units of alcohol for men and 14 for women. A half pint of beer is one unit, a glass of wine is one-and-a-half.


Subsequent studies found that moderate drinkers had low mortality rates, while a man drinking even 63 units a week had the same risk of death as a teetotaller.


Dr Taylor, MP for Wyre Forest, Worcestershire, said he did not think those exceeding the units "would be banging a nail in their coffin", adding: "If driving I would say one drink only and I am not advocating binge-drinking."

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=488809&in_page_id=1770

Drivers 'ignoring smoking rules'

Drivers 'ignoring smoking rules'
New smoking-and-driving rules are not fully understood New smoking-and-driving rules are not fully understood by the public and little effort is being made to comply with them, a motoring group claimed.

Confused employees are still driving and smoking in spite of changes in the law covering drivers at work introduced in July, said GEM Motoring Assist (formerly the Guild of Experienced Motorists).

GEM also revealed that a poll it conducted showed that 72% of people want a total ban on smoking in vehicles, whether they are being driven for work purposes or not. The organisation expressed concerns at the way cigarettes are disposed of by road users.

David Williams of GEM said: "Employers and even voluntary organisations have a duty to ensure that anyone using a vehicle understands the regulations and that the vehicles have proper no-smoking signs.

"It is the legal responsibility of anyone who drives, manages or is responsible for order and safety on vehicles to prevent people from smoking. If they do not apply this law, they could be liable for a court-awarded fine of up to £2,500."

He continued: "People are beginning to understand that driving with a lighted stick in your mouth is not a good idea. Clearly you may not have proper control of the vehicle, especially if you drop the cigarette or try to light it while on the move.

"It has been made clear that drivers can be prosecuted under current law if an incident occurs while they are smoking because they do not have full control of the vehicle."

On cigarette disposal, Mr Williams said: "Throwing them from a window into the path of other traffic, especially cyclists or motorcyclists, is very dangerous and distracting."
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=71983&in_page_id=34&in_a_source=&ito=newsnow

Mike Oldfield quits 'prep school Britain' over smoking ban

Mike Oldfield quits 'prep school Britain' over smoking ban
By JAMES TAPPER and DAVE NEWMAN

Tubular Bells composer Mike Oldfield has quit Britain because the smoking ban and health-and-safety culture have made life "intolerable".

The multi-millionaire is selling his £3.5million Gloucestershire mansion and has moved to Spain, where he says people have more freedom.

He said Britain had become too strict, with its "ludicrous" emphasis on health-and-safety rules and the increased use of CCTV and speed cameras.

The 54-year-old musician told The Mail on Sunday: "I went to a very strict prep school. You were so restricted. It was one of the worst times in my life.

"Britain has been getting more and more like that, what with this health-and-safety business.

"In my local town, Thornbury, the old man who runs the hardware shop has to sneak out to the backyard to have a cigarette. What's the harm in him being in the office in the back of his shop?"

The musician, whose haunting 1973 album made him a star and helped establish Richard Branson's Virgin Records, has smoked Old Holborn roll-ups for decades.

"It is too intrusive," he said. "Imagine if Winston Churchill was given a £50 fine for smoking his cigar. He would never have stood for it.

"I don't want to live in a country where a little old lady has to wear a hard hat and a luminous vest just to look after the village green.

"It's ludicrous. I had some window cleaners come to my house and they showed me a contract ten pages long full of health-and-safety stuff.

"It seems we have lost our freedom. It's just the thought that someone lighting up a harmless roll-up could be fined. I haven't seen any cameras in Spain and you can smoke where you like."

Although Spain did introduce a smoking ban in workplaces last year, cigarettes are allowed in sectioned-off areas of large bars and restaurants, as well as in smaller establishments that choose to allow smoking.

"Where I live in Spain, there are about 100 children who come out late on a Friday night and hang out," Oldfield added. "There's lots of laughter and noise, but no fighting, no drunken violence, no police sirens. I'm not whingeing - it is just a fact of life that the old Great Britain is gone."

The composer, who was born in Reading, admitted: "I will miss the beautiful seasons - the autumn colours and the spring flowers."

Oldfield has put his stunning nine-bedroom mansion, which has a 54-acre estate - including two swimming pools and its own fishing lake - on the market with estate agent Savills for £3.5million.

He has lived in the 19th-century home, which has sweeping views across the River Severn to Wales, with his wife Fanny, whom he met in Ibiza, and their son, Jake, three, for two years.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=488761&in_page_id=1770

LANDLORDS BEGIN CAMPAIGN TO FIGHT SMOKING BAN

LANDLORDS BEGIN CAMPAIGN TO FIGHT SMOKING BAN
A petition has been set up by pub landlords calling for the smoking ban to be stubbed out.

Furious Erika Stroem says she loses at least £1,000 a week despite buying expensive gazebos, outdoor heating and lights to keep her regulars coming back.
Ms Stroem (51), landlady at The Monson Arms, in Skellingthorpe Road, worries pubs' popularity is doomed and fears the trade will die out unless the ban is revoked.

Ms Stroem, who has persuaded several city pubs to join her campaign, will forward her petition to Lincoln MP Gillian Merron.

Lincoln pubs including The Black Swan in Jasmin Road, in Birchwood, The Duke of Wellington in Broadgate and The Plough, in Newark Road have all joined her quest.

But health workers say the landlords are ignoring the benefits the ban has for people's health.
http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=156582

Hundreds sign petition against smoking ban

Hundreds sign petition against smoking ban
helen bell
A PETITION against the smoking ban has been started in pubs in the Skegness area by two men from Wrangle.
Eric and Philip Williams-Jones have distributed a petition in pubs throughout the area and have already received an incredible amount of support.

Within days hundreds of people had signed the petition in support of the pair who feel the ban is a breach of people’s freedom of choice.

Eric, who has been a licensee for 23 years, said: “It’s not democratic. The Government has just gone ahead and done it without asking anyone, and now we all have to follow like sheep.

“All we are asking for is a room in the pubs for smoking like they had in the 60s.”

Eric, who smokes, and Philip, who does not, believe pubs should have the choice of whether they want to be a smoking or non-smoking premise.

They agree smoking should not take place in restaurants or hospitals, but feel a pub is a different environment and should not have to adhere to such stringent rules.

The duo hope to collect at least 5,000 signatures and will present them to the MP for Boston and Skegness Mark Simmonds, who they have already been in touch with.
http://www.skegnessstandard.co.uk/news/Hundreds-sign-petition-against-smoking.3230633.jp

Smoking ban: a drag on prices?

Smoking ban: a drag on prices?
Paula Hawkins examines whether house prices have gone up in smoke
ANYONE who lives near a pub has always had to put up with a certain amount of noise, particularly on hot summer days when people sit outside in pub gardens or at closing time as revellers leave. The problem has become worse since the introduction of the smoking ban this summer. No longer is noise confined to the hot-test days or the half-hour after closing; crowds now congregate outside, even in miserable weather, and the noise lasts from the end of the working day until closing time. The problem is particularly acute in London, home to 3,800 pubs – almost 10 per cent of the UK total. It is not just the noise that is proving a problem. Litter has increased, too. According to Keep Britain Tidy, the number of cigarette butts dropped has increased by 43 per cent since the ban.

Andy Kliman, who works for the Royal Town Planning Institute, lives next door to a pub in Stroud Green, North London. “The noise level has got a lot worse, particularly at half time, if there is a football or rugby game on in the evening. I have a good relationship with the pub landlord and have spoken to him about it, but it is a new problem for the pubs too.” Mr Kliman says that the litter problem is also noticeably worse. “The smoking ban has certainly changed the feel of the area. But I am hopeful that, as winter draws in, people will not be so keen to sit outside.”

So far there is no firm evidence to suggest that the smoking ban has affected house prices. “Prices in my area are pretty robust because of the location,” Mr Kliman says. “And you do expect a certain level of noise if you live next door to a pub.” Some agents say that it is increasingly difficult to sell properties that are immediately next door to bars or pubs. Simon Boulton, of Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward’s Islington branch, says that, if you are prepared to put up with the noise and litter that smokers generate, you can snap up properties for up to £50,000 less than you would otherwise have paid. “We are selling a three-bedroom maisonette right next door to a pub on Richie Street for £599,999. If the flat was farther up the street, the property would be worth between £625,000 and £650,000.”

What can you do if noisy smokers are ruining your evenings? If a quiet word with the landlord has no effect, you should complain to the local council. Canvass your neighbours for their support, too: if the council receives a significant increase in complaints about a particular pub, the local authority can review the pub’s licence.
http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/buying_and_selling/article2686198.ece

BORRELL FLOUTS U.K. SMOKING BAN

BORRELL FLOUTS U.K. SMOKING BAN

RAZORLIGHT frontman JOHNNY BORRELL has joined THE ROLLING STONES and PAUL WELLER in the latest act of rock 'n' roll defiance - smoking onstage. The Golden Touch hitmaker, 27, infuriated organisers of the Prince's Trust Fashion Rocks concert in London on Thursday (19Oct07) by puffing on a cigarette during a performance of his hit In The Morning. Now the Royal Albert Hall venue faces a $5,000 (GBP2,500) fine in concordance with the U.K.'s July (07) ban on smoking. Kensington and Chelsea council is currently deliberating whether to impose the standard fine.
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/borrell%20flouts%20uk%20smoking%20ban_1047265

Guernsey Tobacco rolls up as smoke ban bites

Guernsey Tobacco rolls up as smoke ban bites
by Nicci Martel
JOBS will go as the smoking ban proves to be the final straw for Guernsey Tobacco.

The manufacturer, which is owned by Sandpiper, will cease trading at the end of the year when its lease on a property in the Braye Road Industrial Estate expires.
‘Tobacco consumption has fallen in both the UK and Guernsey because of health lobbying and duty increases,’ said Paul Luxon, managing director of Cimandis, the parent company of which is Sandpiper.
‘The manufacture of tobacco has been in decline, in line with the rest of the market, and that’s obviously part of the reason for our decision.’
The company has five employees, all of whom are under instruction not to talk to the media, but they are in talks with Cimandis about possible redeployment to another division. Mr Luxon said that because it was a small, niche business, relocating it was not a viable option.
The local production of tobacco, including Super Fine Shag, will also cease, although Mr Luxon said the company was investigating the possibility of having them manufactured off-island.
In 2006 there was a 12% decrease on the previous year in revenue on tobacco imports, showing a marked decrease in the demand for it. That is thought to have been a knock-on effect of the smoking ban, which came into force in July 2006.
‘It may be an indication of the general decline in smoking in Guernsey, as well as in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Jersey, where smoking legislation has also been implemented,’ said health promotion officer Gerry Le Roy.
The number of people visiting Quitline has also been high since the ban, suggesting that more smokers are trying to give it up.

http://www.thisisguernsey.com/code/shownewsarticle.pl?ArticleID=002838

Hundreds oppose hospital smoking ban

Hundreds oppose hospital smoking ban
SICK of seeing hundreds of cigarette butts littering their streets, people living near the Kent & Cannterbury have signed petition demanding the hospital rethinks its smoke ban.

The ban on smoking on all hospital grounds has forced smokers – and their litter – on to the residential streets around it.

Hundreds signed the petition and handed it to Canterbury and Whitstable MP Julian Brazier, who has forwarded it to health secretary Alan Johnson.

It was the Department of health which ordered the hospital to ban smoking.

And in a letter to Mr Johnson, Mr Brazier said: “I support the residents’ position on this."

He supported calls for a designated smoking area to be created on the hospital site.
http://www.kent-online.co.uk/news/default.asp?article_id=35529&startrecord=-1.

Pub 'embassy' dodges smoking ban

Pub 'embassy' dodges smoking ban
A pub landlord hopes to get round the new smoking ban by turning his premises into the official British embassy of a remote Caribbean island.
Bob Beech wants to turn The Wellington Arms in Freemantle, Southampton, into the UK base of the uninhabited Redonda.

It follows the pub already being granted status as a consulate of Redonda by the island's king and Mr Beech receiving a Redondan knighthood.

But his plans are likely to be thwarted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The landlord said: "We came up with the idea that this pub could become the British consulate for the Kingdom of Redonda - and the king thought it was a good idea.

"We had a ceremony for that and I was made a knight.


The Wellington Arms carries a plaque boasting of its status

"Subsequent to that it was decided that we wanted to become an embassy. Our legal team are waiting to hear if that's possible.

"We intend to go ahead with the full benefits of an embassy."

Those benefits could include not having to enforce the smoking ban when it comes into force on Sunday 1 July.

The ruler of the tiny Atlantic island, King Robert the Bald, sent the island's official cardinal to grant consulate status on the pub.

Cardinal Elder, also a regular drinker at the pub, said: "If it works we won't have to enforce the smoking ban - I think it will good for the pub and the Kingdom of Redonda."

But a Foreign Office spokeswoman said that Redonda was a territory of Antigua and Barbuda and therefore was not entitled to an embassy or high commission in the UK.

Councillor Gavin Dick, of Southampton City Council, said environmental health officers would be advising Sir Bob of the legal position when the smoke free legislation is implemented.

He added: "If they are not granted embassy status, which requires formal accreditation by the Foreign Office, then they will be covered by the new law, which we will be enforcing."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/6246006.stm

SMOKING BAN HANGOVER LEAVES PUBS 'ON BRINK'

SMOKING BAN HANGOVER LEAVES PUBS 'ON BRINK'
Swansea pubs could go to the wall as a result of the smoking ban.

The warning has come from the city's Licensed Victuallers Association (LVA).

Six months after the introduction of the ban in Wales, pubs have lost up to 20 per cent of their trade, according to the group.
Grey Phillips, secretary of the city LVA, said: "They will be closing. Everybody is talking about it."

The LVA, which represents 32 pub operators in Swansea, says some pubs are teetering on the brink of closure. Click here to votee on whether the smoking ban has stopped you going to the pub.

Mr Phillips said: "People say we are being too dramatic, but we are not.

"We have looked at it, and it is bad.

"It is particularly bad for the smaller, single licensee who has been there for years and had his regular customers."

And Mr Phillips doubts there will be any change in fortunes for struggling publicans.

He said: "We will have a review in 2010 and we will see what we can do - if we are still in existence."

Just 10 years ago the LVA had some 144 members, but numbers have dwindled.

"I don't think it will pick up again," said Mr Phillips.

"Even the large locals in the side streets will be going to the wall. The future is grim for licensees."

He said that since the smoking ban came into force in Ireland in 2004, villages which had four pubs ended up with just one.

John Price, secretary of the LVA in Wales, said pubs which were struggling needed to invest in shelters.

But the problem they face is that because of the lack of trade, they cannot afford the investment needed.

The smoking ban was introduced across Wales on April 2.

Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) in Wales's director, Tanya Buchanan, said the result of the smoking ban in Scotland had been small.

"There was already a decline in licensed premises ahead of the ban," she said.

"The impact of drink-drive legislation has contributed to people not drinking."

Mr Phillips said: "There is massive competition from the supermarkets that are selling alcohol cheaply.

"People should support their local pub. If they want to smoke, give it up for half an hour."
http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=161818&command=displayContent&sourceNode=161644&contentPK=18694451&folderPk=88499&pNodeId=161365

Bingo players take to sea to thwart smoking ban

Bingo players take to sea to thwart smoking ban
http://www.onlinebingo.co.uk/bingoarticle.php/732
Over 450 bingo players took part in the two-night trip from Hull to Rotterdam, allowing them to ‘light up’ because the controversial smoking ban does not apply to public places on ships.
And, the event, organised by online gaming company Foxy Bingo, was such a success they are already looking to arrange more cruises.

Foxy’s Bingo Manageress Helen Rooney said: “As soon as the players took their place at the table everyone was ‘lighting up’. Rather than talking about what jackpots were on offer they spent the whole evening talking about how great it was to be able to have a fag and play the nation’s favourite game. It shows how frustrated many bingo players are at the Government’s decision to ban smoking in public places.”

Among the players, Julie Spicer, from Morden, London, said: “Bingo is a social game. As a social smoker, I found it great to be able to smoke and play at the same time.”

Julie, a 31-year-old Travel Consultant, added; “Before the trip we were all chatting on-line, joking that we’d have to take heavy coats to smoke out on deck. It was excellent to be able to smoke inside.”

Jo Titchmarsh, one of the hosts of Foxy’s online chat rooms, said: “One of the great things which have attracted people to online bingo is that players can light up in their own homes while taking part in games.”

She added: “A lot of players were really surprised – and delighted – when they discovered they’d be able to smoke during the cruise without leaving their tables.”

Foxy, which organised the mini cruise in partnership with ferry operator P&O, believes the trip was the first of its kind. Discussions are now getting underway to make the trip a regular event.

Patrick Southon, Managing Director of Foxy Bingo’s parent company Cashcade,
said: “We were absolutely delighted by the response of players to the inaugural mini-cruise which has reinforced Foxy Bingo’s position as the leader in its market. This was a fantastic event which we will look to repeat in the future.”

New tax on pub quizzes

New tax on pub quizzes
By SIMON WALTERS
Quiz cash: Pub landlords will be taxed for hosting fun, social events.
Gordon Brown became embroiled in a new tax row last night as secret plans to introduce a levy on pub quizzes were revealed.

Confidential orders to council tax snoopers, obtained by The Mail on Sunday, say 'friendly' pubs with quiz nights, football teams or dartboards will be forced to pay higher business rates, which will pay for Labour's public-spending programme.

The plan, which could lead to big tax rises for bars deemed 'popular', was last night condemned by the Tories, who claimed it could lead to landlords cancelling quizzes and other social events.


'In his usual stealthy way, Gordon Brown is planning a raid right into the heart of Middle England to tax the pub quiz,' said Shadow Local Government Minister Eric Pickles.

'Labour fails to understand that if pubs are charged extra taxes for supporting social facilities, landlords may just scrap them.'

The pub-quiz tax is disclosed in guidance notes drawn up by the Government-run Valuation Office Agency, which is carrying out a review of every business in the land using a 60-page instruction booklet entitled the Non-Domestic Rating Referencing Manual.

The agency is carrying out a similar survey of all UK homes using a £13million computer database run by secretive American contractors.

Guidance on how to set the rates for a pub tells inspectors to take into account a number of factors: 'Note any TV (including satellite) facility, quiz nights, pool, darts or football teams in leagues. Does the pub appear friendly and popular?'

In addition, pool and darts 'facilities' must be logged along with 'beer gardens, children's play areas and bowling greens'.

The inspectors must obtain price lists of beers, wines and spirits and assess the type of pub, such as 'standard local, village pub [or] student venue', suggesting pleasant locals will have to pay more than scruffier student bars.

The manual explains how inspectors should visit pubs armed with an identity card, tape-measure or laser measuring device, digital camera and clipboard. They are even given maths lessons on how to ensure every square inch of the pub is taxed, including the mathematical formula for calculating the area of 'rhomboids, trapeziums, and undecagons [11-sided shapes]'.

The manual used for the last business-rates review in 2005 made no mention of 'friendly' pubs or quiz nights and specifically stated that takings not related to selling alcohol, such as 'video machines, telephones, jukeboxes and pool tables', should not be used as an excuse to hike business rates. There is no such exemption in the new manual.

Significantly, the document was slipped out by Chancellor Alistair Darling in a parliamentary written answer on July 25. That was the day before the Commons rose for the summer recess, by which time many MPs had already started their holidays. It is a classic New Labour tactic to 'bury bad news' because it is less likely to be scrutinised if MPs are not around.

Unlike the old guidance which was available for inspection on the internet, the new guidance appears only on the agency's internal intranet, which cannot be accessed by the public. Now, Mr Darling has been forced to place a copy in the Commons library, where it can be studied by MPs.

Business rates are set at 44 per cent of the rateable value of the property, so if a pub's rateable value is increased by £1,000 either because it attracts extra custom with regular quiz nights or because it has a 'friendly' atmosphere, the bill would increase by £440 a year.

The figure could be much higher in large pubs, which pay up to £50,000 a year in rates. Conversely, a remote village pub paying just £1,000 a year in rates could see its tax bill double under the new rules.

Tory spokesman Mr Pickles said: 'These tax snoops are readying their clipboards for a rates revaluation, using the same Big Brother technology that is planned to log and tax people's homes.'

Dave Hogarth, of the National Quiz network of pub quizzes, said: 'Publicans are already struggling with adverse weather and the smoking ban, and quizzes are designed to replace lost revenue on quiet evenings. They shouldn't be punished for it.'

Caroline Nodder, editor of The Publican magazine, said pubs would take the news 'extremely badly', adding: 'Pubs are already hit from all sides by red tape and rising costs and are finding it a struggle to survive.'

The new business-rates valuations are due to be finalised by 2009 and will take effect in 2010.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=487499&in_page_id=1770