Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con)

My Lords, I rise to speak to Amendment 38 standing in my name. As I stated in Committee, a pint of beer is not a bloodless, intangible item: it is a tangible institution. It is linked to our history and to a part of our heritage. The pint is a well-established unit of measurement in the UK that is recognised and understood by consumers and businesses alike. Removing or disapplying the use of the pint for alcoholic beverages would create unnecessary confusion, disrupt long-standing practices and sever a cultural and historical connection that has endured for centuries. While we debate this issue of tradition and measurement, we must not lose sight of the real and immediate crisis facing pubs, brewers and the wider hospitality industry. The Budget announced by the Government has inflicted more damage on an industry that was already under enormous pressure. The UK’s core hospitality trade bodies—UKHospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association, the British Institute of Innkeeping, and Hospitality Ulster—have issued a stark warning. Pubs, brewers and hospitality venues will be forced to make painful decisions to weather these new costs, which will have a damaging impact on businesses, jobs and communities. However, something else deserves mention here. Just recently, there was significant concern over how the forthcoming Employment Rights Bill could force pub landlords to monitor patrons’ conversations to avoid any potential harassment of staff. In effect, landlords might be asked to become the banter police, forced to scrutinise and restrict what customers say to avoid liability. After all of that, therefore, protecting the British pint is the very least the Government should do. I urge the Government to accept this amendment and protect the pint, and, more importantly, to ensure that our pubs and breweries remain places where our history, culture and heritage continue to flourish without unnecessary interference. I beg to move. Amendment 38ZA (to Amendment 38)