Dear Fiona,

URGENT – Serious issues regarding your decision to suspend the Pubs Code

We are writing regarding your announcement that you have agreed with the regulated pub-owning businesses (POBs) that the same declaration you used in the previous national UK lockdown to suspend Statutory Pubs Code deadlines should apply to the imposition of the lockdown of England, from 5 November.

We question your rationale for this and the legal basis upon which you have acted to permit a statutory suspension. We believe you should publish any legal advice you have taken and ask you to do so or say it you took no legal advice. We note that you have not updated your Guidance “Covid-19 and Trigger Events under the Pubs Code” of 10 July 2020…