Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:56 pm on 9 May 2017.
I have to declare an interest as a CAMRA member at this point. It’s a tricky issue because we know that, in planning terms, it’s not difficult to change the use of a pub to another commercial or retail use. That said, of course, quite often pubs are not sold and they become derelict because they’re empty after a while, so it’s not an easy issue to resolve. We know, and even CAMRA itself recognises, there are still too many pubs, given people’s current social habits. What’s hugely important is to be able to work with the market-leading pubs—there are many of them, some small, some big—in order to provide a good example to others. But, ultimately, it’s a question of ensuring that the pubs are able to offer the widest range of services possible to customers. I’ve been to countries where the pubs double up as shops—in Wales, actually. I think Cwmdu is one example, near Llandeilo, where the pub is also a shop. So, looking at ways in which pubs can also act as business hubs in communities, where the local shop can be, possibly, the post office—that’s one way forward to ensure that pubs have a viable future.