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Full Pint Campaign Government proposals to make it legal to serve minimum 95% pints of beer have been condemned by the Campaign for Real Ale.Despite a long-standing Labour party policy to change the law to ensure consumers get a full pint,proposals published by the DTI in March will make it legal for pubs to serve only 95% liquid if they become law this summer. CAMRA claims thatif the proposals become law, they will lead to more short measure than before because standard prosecution tolerances will mak it almost impossible for Trading Standards Officers to secure a prosecution for a pint above 92% liquid rendering the Goverment`s proposals unworkable in practice. Mike Benner, Head of Campaigns and Communications said,"The DTI has promised to tighten consumer protection `on beer measures, but these proposals will have the opposite effect. It`s ridiculous to suggest to consumers that a pint is only 95% of a pintin the first place, but as that is not enforceable in the courts the proposals are clearly unworkable. The Government should scrap these plans and introduce laws for 100% average pints as proposed previously." Chris Howells, of the Trading Standards Institute, said in What`s Brewing, "It boils down to prosecution licensees only being proecuted for pints that are 7-8 per cent short. Wewould like Patricia Hewitt to revert to the Government`s previous commitment to a full pint."< br> Are you being caught short? Beer drinkers can work out by how much they are being short changed using a new `rip-off calculator` launched today by CAMRA. The credit card sized device clearly states the cost in pence of pints which fall short of 100%liquid. The consumer group is urging drinkers to stand up for their rights in pubs which serve short pints in response to the Government`s proposals to make it legal to serve only 95%liquid. The Rip-Off Calculator shows that a customer paying £2.20 for a pint could be paying 50 pence too much if the liquid in the glass is only2.5 centimetres below the brim of the glass. That could be costing someone drinking two pints a day a staggering £365 a year! Mike Brenner added, "You don`t have to be a rocket scientist to work out that the big pub chains are making millmions out of short measure and the Government is now playing into their hands by legalising the practice. It`s time for consumers to fight back by letting the Government know they care about this issue and with their feet by taking their custom elsewhere when served a short pint." CAMRA`S research shows that: *89.4% of pints are less than 100% liquid *Over 1 in 4 pints {27.7% are less than the industry`s guidelines of 95% liquid *Pubs which already serve 100% liquid are cheaper on average than pubs which doguarantee full pints. *Rip off calculators are available from CAMRA ON 01727 867201 Back To Issue Fourteen Back To Inn Touch |
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