Consultation outcome

Statutory review of Pubs Code and Pubs Code Adjudicator 2022 to 2025

• From: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, Department for Business and Trade and Justin Madders MP
• Published: 22 May 2025
• Last updated: 14 September 2026 — See all updates

This was published under the 2024 to 2026 Starmer Labour government

Applies to England and Wales

This consultation has concluded

Detail of outcome

The Pubs Code and Pubs Code Adjudicator: statutory review, 2022 to 2025 is the third statutory review, covering the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025.

This consultation informed the review, as well as:

• a PCA post implementation review​ (PIR), which analyses the costs and benefits of the code since its implementation in 2016
• publicly available evidence

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Original consultation

Summary

We are seeking views and evidence which will allow the government to assess the Pubs Code’s operation and the Pubs Code Adjudicator’s (PCA's) performance.

This consultation was held on another website.

This consultation ran from
11am on 22 May 2025 to 11:59pm on 14 August 2025

Consultation description

The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 provided for the establishment of the Pubs Code to regulate the relationship between large pub-owning businesses and their tied tenants in England and Wales.

The Act requires the Secretary of State to review:

• the operation of the Pubs Code
• the performance of the Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA)
• the regulations setting the PCA’s costs, fees and financial penalties

As part of the review, we invite additional views and evidence from stakeholders to help inform the review’s conclusions. 

We will also consider a range of evidence to inform a post-implementation review of the Pubs Code including views and evidence submitted from stakeholders. Under the Better Regulation Framework, the Department for Business and Trade is expected to complete a post-implementation review of the primary legislation and subsequent regulations. This review will consider the costs and benefits of the regulations since its implementation.

The post-implementation review will consider:

• the Code’s impact since it came into force in 2016
• the extent to which the regulation is working
• if the policy has achieved its objectives
• whether the intervention is the most appropriate approach
• if intervention and regulation is still required

We will process your personal data in accordance with all applicable data protection laws. See our privacy notice.

Documents

Pubs Code and Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA): statutory review and post-implementation review, 2022 to 2025

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Published 22 May 2025

Last updated 14 September 2026 — Show all updates

1. 14 September 2026

   A link to the 'Pubs Code and Pubs Code Adjudicator: statutory review, 2022 to 2025' added as the consultation outcome.

2. 22 July 2025

   Corrected a date range in the review period. The text now reads ‘1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025’ instead of the incorrect dates ‘1 April 2019 to 31 March 2022’ and ‘31 March 2022 to 1 April 2025’.

3. 22 May 2025

   First published.