To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what representations he has respecting the inntrepreneur scheme operated by Grand Metropolitan Estates within the brewery industry; what have been the nature of such representations; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will refer the practice of the inntrepreneur scheme operated by Grand Metropolitan Estates within the brewery industry to the Office of Fair Trading.
Both I and my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade have received representations in the form of correspondence from Inntrepreneur Estates Ltd. lessees, or on their behalf. Whilst the terms of individual leases are a commercial matter for discussion between landlord and tenant, Ministers have on a number of occasions urged. Grand Metropolitan, as managers of IEL, to deal sympathetically with IEL's tenants where changes were being introduced following the enactment of the Beer Orders or the Courage/Grand Metropolitan transaction. We continue to keep in touch with IEL to ensure that they are aware of the importance we attach to this. The complaints received by the Department do not appear to raise issues under the competition legislation. However, if the hon. Member has any specific examples of anti-competitive practices, it is open to him to raise these with the Director General of Fair Trading.