THE crisis facing York and North Yorkshire pubs has been brought before the Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling.

The Press recently revealed how the credit crunch, smoking ban and cheap alcohol in supermarkets were driving pubs around the city out of business.

Now City of York MP Hugh Bayley has written to Mr Darling, urging him to offer more support to pubs and clubs in the 2009 Budget.

Following a meeting with the Licensed Victuallers Association in January, Mr Bayley sent out questionnaires to pubs and workingmen’s clubs in his constituency to find out how they were coping. He sent a copy of the results to the Chancellor together with his recommendations.

The survey showed the licensees’ four main concerns were:

* Taxation: The recent duty changes were introduced alongside the temporary reduction in VAT and, when the two changes are taken together, alcohol prices remained broadly the same. But when VAT returns to 17.5 per cent it will result in a rise in taxation. Mr Bayley has asked the Chancellor to reduce duty when VAT rises again.

* Inquiry into minimum pricing for alcohol: Most licensees believed the biggest factor in falling profits was cheaper supermarket sales, and 96 per cent did not want supermarkets to be able to sell alcohol at cheap rates.

* Loss-leader promotions: The majority of licensees did not want alcohol to be used in loss-leader promotions by off-licences, supermarkets or bars. They were unable to compete and believed it could encourage irresponsible drinking.

* Pub company/landlord contracts: The relationship between pub companies and landlords needs to be examined in greater detail with a view to ensuring landlords are treated fairly when they enter into a contract with a pub company or a brewery. Many landlords believed rents had gone up disproportionately to the cost of living over the last year and the amount they were charged for beer and spirits was often too high.

Mr Bayley said: “Landlords are not getting a fair deal from their contacts with the pub companies and this needs to be looked at.

“I also want the Government to look at the pricing of alcohol; supermarkets and some of the big pub chains are selling alcohol at prices publicans cannot begin to compete with.”