We have seen too many local pubs close in recent years. Many tenants tied to large pub companies struggle to make a decent living, with more than half claiming they earn less than the minimum wage.

I long ago signed up to support the Fair Deal for Your Local campaign, and attended meetings of the Parliamentary Save the Pub group, including one addressed by a publican from Chippenham.

I also discussed the problem with a group of North Wiltshire Campaign for Real Ale members who visited me in Parliament.

Earlier this year, I spoke in a House of Commons debate on behalf of a publican in Melksham, who complains that the ‘pubco’ he leases from has broken its own code of practice and that of the pub industry on a range of issues.

I made the case for a statutory code and an independent adjudicator to enforce it.

This Government started by dragging its feet on this issue like its predecessor, but has made a lot of progress over the past year or two, culminating in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill which introduces a statutory code and independent adjudicator.

In the run-up to votes on the Bill in the Commons last week, the Government also made concessions to campaigners, including accepting the case for a mandatory free-of-tie option, but not for another two years.

I decided we should not put this off any longer, as many publicans already face closure.

I concluded the right thing to do was to join the backbench rebellion that successfully amended the bill to introduce a mandatory free-of-tie option for tied pub tenants.

The Federation of Small Businesses warmly welcomed our victory, saying it will “provide a boost to local economies while giving consumers greater choice”.

The coalition government has also helped the beer industry by scrapping the ‘beer duty escalator’ and cutting beer duty in each of the last two Budgets, so a pint is now 8p cheaper than it would have been.

At Holt’s Box Steam Brewery, I have seen the new machinery they were able to invest in because of these changes, and this week I was pleased to introduce their Tunnel Vision ale to the Strangers’ Bar in Parliament.

My next constituency surgeries will be at my office in Avonbridge House, Chippenham on Friday, December 5, from 5pm to 6.30pm; and at Bradford on Avon library on December 6, from 10am to 11.30am.