Welsh Conservatives will today call on the Welsh Labour Government to end its opposition to a Right to Bid, which would help save Welsh pubs, which are closing at a rate of three a week.
The Right to Bid has been in operation in England for 18 months and can delay the sale of a community asset by six months to allow local people the time to launch a bid to protect it.
The Right to Bid was introduced by the Conservative-led Coalition in 2012 and in its first year has protected and saved over 100 pubs, as well as other community assets.
Last month, the Chancellor cut a penny off beer duty in his Budget as well as freezing duty on spirits and ciders and scrapping the alcohol duty escalator.
Wales has a vibrant brewing industry with around 60 local breweries and numerous annual beer festivals.
Janet Finch-Saunders, Assembly Member for Aberconwy, said, “The local pub should be at the heart of any community, but under Labour, three are closing every week.
“The Labour Welsh Government rejected the chance to use the Localism Act to introduce a Right to Bid, which would have given communities the same rights as people in England to protect local assets.
“If people want to strengthen their community and work together to protect local assets, this is something that government should encourage, yet Labour continues to block public engagement.
“The pub industry is a major employer in Wales, but is under threat from taxation, cheap supermarket alcohol and excessive red tape.
“Conservatives in government are supporting the pub industry and breweries by cutting duty on beer, freezing tax on spirits and ciders and empowering communities to save their pub.
“By blocking the Right to Bid, Labour is not only ignoring the plight of Welsh pubs but hastening their decline by failing to reform business taxes, which Welsh Conservatives want to cut.
“Welsh Conservatives are a low tax party committed to cutting business rates and empowering Welsh communities to protect jobs and enable local people to have a say on how their local assets are managed.”
