SENEDD CYMRU : WELSH PARLIAMENT
Grwp Groes-Bleidiol ar Gwrw a’r Dafarn : Cross Party Group on Beer and the Pub ADRODDIAD BLYNYDDOL 2023-24 ANNUAL REPORT

The AGM was held on 22 April 2024, and Jack Sargent MS was re-elected as Chairman of the CPG. Attendees were:

Jack Sargent MS (Chairman)

Mike Hedges MS

Hannah McCarthy (office of Caroline Thomas MS)

Paul Edgeworth, CAMRA (Joint Secretariat)

James Hawkins, BBPA

Rita King, All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group (Joint Secretariat)

Torrin MacLauchlan, BBPA

Barry Watts, SIBA (Joint Secretariat)

Key Issues for the Beer and Pub Sector in Wales

Key issues of concern for the beer and pub sector at the present time are:

· Proposals for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in Wales, which continue to include glass in the scope of the Scheme.  The Welsh CPG Chairman also visited a Robinson’s pub near Wrexham in July 2023 to see first hand the challenges of the proposals for small pub businesses;

· Continued economic pressures for pubs and breweries, which have seen a significant rise in the overall cost of doing business over the past two years, and are still recovering from the impact of the pandemic on the sector.

The CPG held a well-attended on-line meeting on 4^th May 2023 to discuss the challenges for the sector and welcomed the Chairman of the Scottish CPG on Beer and Pubs, Craig Hoy MSP, who provided a perspective on the issues in Scotland.

The CPG held a very successful visit to Mad Dog Brewery in Cardiff in February 2024, where attendees heard from Tim Waters, CEO and owner, about the development of the brewery and tap room in the Castle Quarter, and plans for further expansion of the business.

The CPG wishes to record its thanks to John Pockett, who has retired from the Secretariat of the Group.  It has appointed a new joint Secretariat which will be run by the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, CAMRA and SIBA. It is also grateful for the ongoing support of the Welsh Beer Cluster.

The Group has met with the following organisations:

British Beer and Pub Association

CAMRA

SIBA

UKH

Welsh Beer Cluster

Annual Financial Statement:

Title	Description	Amount
CPG Expenses	Expenses incurred by the Group are detailed below	£140
Cost of all goods	No goods bought	£0.00
Benefits received by the CPG or individual members from external bodies	In kind benefits are detailed below	£0.00
Any financial support or other support	No financial support was received	£0.00
TOTAL		£140

Total Expenses:

The total expenses incurred from operating the CPG are broken down as follows:

Date	Description	Supplier	Cost
27/02/2024	Transport from Senedd to Mad Dog Brewery	Roy’s Travels	£140
TOTAL			£140

Benefits:

John Pockett provided in-kind administrative support to the CPG.

Hospitality:

The CPG received hospitality from Mad Dog Brewery on 28^th February, the total value of which was £344.35.

Rita King
For and on behalf of the Joint Secretariat

8 May 2024