Pub tenants are to be protected from unreasonable beer ties under a new statutory code which will be enforced by an independent adjudicator who will have the power to impose sanctions on pub owners who break the rules.
Beer ties, which require landlords to buy products from the company which owns the pub, have been the cause of controversy in recent times with allegations of some companies abusing the tie to inflate prices, leaving many landlords earning less than the minimum wage.
"Far too many landlords feel their income is squeezed by big pub companies. So today we are taking action to make sure they get a fairer deal," said business secretary Vince Cable.