THIS week I was delighted to welcome the winners of The Gazette’s first Pub of the Year Competition, The Rose and Crown in Rangeworthy, for a day in the House of Commons.

There are 48,000 pubs in the UK today, down 10,000 from 2006. The industry has faced several obstacles over the past decade, including the introduction of the smoking ban, a major fall in consumer spending following the recession of 2009 and increased competition from supermarkets. There is a growing trend suggesting that staying is increasingly popular.

However, the industry remains strong and continues to contribute a huge amount to our local communities and economies. Research shows that pubs continue to provide a large number of local jobs, especially for young people in towns, villages and cities nationwide. There are more than 5,200 pubs across the South West and the sector as a whole contributed £1.94 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2012 across the region.

The Chancellor’s announcement in his budget last year allowed pub landlords across the country to benefit from cuts to beer duty by 1p per pint for the third year in a row. The announcement saw a saving of £180 million for pub-gores pockets and created 3800 jobs in the industry last year alone.

These last three years of reduction in duty continue to make a real and significant difference in boosting investment, saving jobs and increasing confidence of pubs and landlords everywhere.

There is a real concern within the industry that pubs are playing a more vital role in the promotion of responsible drinking. And as numbers of people drinking increasingly more alcohol at home continue to rise, it is important that we protect pubs to provide a safe and communal place to drink responsibly. However, many landlords are finding innovative ways of getting more people in through the doors; by expanding their offerings and ensuring they can appeal to as wide an audience as possible.

In South Gloucestershire we have some of the best pubs in the country. We use them used for coffee mornings, weddings, functions, beer and cider festivals and so many other things. They are true community hubs in our local area.

The Rose and Crown are worthy winners, it offers fantastic customer service and is a beautiful village pub. Aside from complimenting landlady Yvonne Hulbert and her team, voters in the competition praised the Rose and Crown for the quality of the food they serve, its wide selection of beers, ales and spirits and also its links with the surrounding village and the regular charity and social events it holds. It was also a great honour to see two local Ales served on tap in the House of Commons bar; Hill Climb and Chequered Flag, both from Gloucestershire.

The beer and pub sector continues to be a crucial source of employment and output for the UK economy and I will keep pressing the Government to work with all parties involved, from brewers, pubs and consumers and that a pint in our locals in South Gloucestershire remains affordable for everyone.