"Extending Smoking Ban to Pub Gardens Ridiculous" Mulholland

12.00.00am GMT Tue 2nd Feb 2010

Greg Mulholland, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group has slammed the latest proposals by the Government to extend the smoking ban to areas outside pubs, including beer gardens.

Greg has put forward a motion in Parliament specifically criticising the plans and the impact that they will have on the trade.

Commenting, Greg said:

"Just when pubs have got to grips with the smoking ban and have found ways to cater for non-smokers and smokers alike, this nanny state New Labour Government wants to ban something else.

"This really is quite ludicrous as well as draconian and will cause more damage to pubs that are already hard hit in the current climate.

"It is as if members of the Government wake up, look at themselves in the mirror and think 'What can I do to damage the pub trade today?"

"It is high time Ministers woke up to the positive role that pubs play in communities and as a controlled, sociable drinking environment are actually an important part of the solution to problem drinking, rather than treating people as naughty children and trying to ban everything."