The vast majority of pubs in the UK are tied to either a pub company or a brewer. This means they are often unable to stock beers from brewers of their choice. A guest beer right would allow these pubs the choice of stocking one cask conditioned beer of their choice. This would have two huge advantages by increasing consumer choice and supporting small brewers. CAMRA is now campaigning for a new guest beer right which applies to tenants and managers of pub companies as well as brewers.

Getting what you pay for is a basic consumer right. When ordering a pint of beer you should receive exactly that – a full pint. The reality is very different, and because of loopholes in the law over 8 out of 10 pints are short measured with consumers losing out to the tune of over £400 million each year. Despite repeated promises, the Government has failed to act on short beer measures.

The Campaign for Real Ale supports real ale in a bottle. This is the next best thing, and the bottled equivalent, to the draught real ales you can enjoy at the pub. CAMRA has launched a logo (opposite) to clearly identify products that are the real thing: natural, living, bottle-conditioned beers. It is important to note that some cask-conditioned real ales do not undergo secondary fermentation once bottled. We hope that this logo will be able to clearly identify real ale in a bottle.

While planning permission is needed to convert pubs into homes, full planning permission is not normally required to demolish a pub or convert a pub into a shop or restaurant. CAMRA wants to prevent pubs being demolished or converted to another use without planning permission. It is after all only right that local people are given a chance to object to the loss of their local pub. In the last few years CAMRA has successfully campaigned for greater protection for public houses.

Small Breweries' Relief was introduced in 2002 and means that Britain's smallest brewers pay 50% less excise duty on the beer they produce. The relief has been a huge success and there are now over 550 small brewers in the UK compared to only 440 in 2002. Small Breweries' Relief saves Britain's small brewers over £15 million every year which has been reinvested into: new equipment and infrastructure; the purchase of public houses to provide a guaranteed outlet; marketing and sales activity; and employing and training staff.