TORFAEN MP Paul Murphy has added his support to a market rent only cross party amendment to the Small Business Bill that would deliver a fair deal for local pub company pubs- including those in Gwent.

The Small Business Bill already includes plans for a Pubs Code and an Adjudicator to support pubs and their tenants but does not include the essential market rent only option which is needed to stop large pub companies forcing up beer prices charged to pub tenants to unacceptable levels.

The amendment will allow pub tenants tied to the large pub companies to opt for a rental only deal, allowing them to buy beer on the open market at prices up to 70 per cent below what pub companies currently force them to pay.

MPs will vote on this amendment on Tuesday November 18 and the campaign has been backed by 212 MPs from all parties.

The amendment is also backed by the national Fair Deal for Your Local campaign which consists of ten leading national organisations, including CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale), the Federation of Small Businesses, the Forum for Private Business and licensee organisations.

Mr Murphy said: “I am very pleased to add to my name to this important new clause to at last give the tenants of large pub companies a fair deal and to help keep pubs open.

“The market rent only option is reasonable and gradual and simply provides an option for tenants to choose at appropriate times whether to carry on with a tied agreement or to have a rental only agreement. This option will stop the abuse of the beer tie and will lead to companies offering fair tied agreements, with genuinely lower rents for higher beer prices.”

Phil Jones, a Torfaen member of Fair Pint, said: “Having experienced the realities of operating under a tied lease for nearly nine years this market rent only clause gives us hope that the desperately needed reform of the pub industry is just around the corner. Its inclusion in the Bill would give us the opportunity to truly assess whether or not we are getting a fair deal from our pubco.

“This amendment would put us and other tied tenants on a level playing field when it comes to negotiating a fair rent for our pubs."

Tim Page, CAMRA Chief Executive added: “CAMRA is very pleased that Paul Murphy MP has added his name to an amendment, which calls for an important change to improve the relationship between pub-owning companies and their tenants."