HELP FOR OLD

One thing promised by Lord Erroll's report on licensing hours and opening times is a profits bonanza for the breweries.

The proposed increase in drinking hours can only help the breweries. Those who stand to benefit are the groups with high concentrations in urban areas.

Investment ana'ysts had been saying that the brewery section of industry had come to the end of a period of sustained expansion. Now Lord Erroll'e men have enforced a drastic rethink of future prospects.

Take-overs Longer opening hours and easier availability of licences are likely to be accepted by the Tory government-which receives large donations from the big brewers - and could become law within two years.

What will also open up will be a period of intense rationalization among the brewery giants, with weaker competitors eliminated or taken over, and the monopolies increasing their stranglehold on the market.

The present system of licences is apparently SO archaic that companies are reluctant to close down unprofitable outlets for fear of not getting new licences where the pickings look better.

With this obstacle removed, rationalization processes should be speeded-up.

The beer industry is dominated by a handful of firms, chief among them being Allied Breweries and Bass Charrington.

Allied Breweries' turnover last year came to well over E430m, making it the 24th largest firm in Britain. The company's 50,000 workers turned out profits of about £50m.

About a year at made a take-over Trust Houses Forte, and catering group. but another bid is sible.

Bass Charrington, Britain's 29th largest concern, is going so well that last week it announced a f25m motel deal with Esso, the Ilth biggest Bass is to buy the nine Esso motor hotels in the United Kingdom and eight in four other western European countries. It will also lease from Esso nine motor hotels in West Germany and one int Austria.

The brewery group's hotel offshoot, Crest Hotels, is to manage the new hotels interest. Crest already manages 74 hotels in the UK, of which 16 are motor hotels.

Next in strength is the prodigy, Jonathan, onathan, is chaise Guinness whose man of the Monday Club and prospective Tory candidate for the Lincoln by-election.

Last year's returns showed a £21.8m profit from just over 8,000 workers. Quite a healthy state.

Whitbread comes next, with almost a £23m profit last year and employing almost 26,000 £23m profit No longer independent, but part of Grand Metropolitan Hotels, Watney Mann is the fifth biggest brewer. Before it went under, the company managed to snap up Truman beers as well. The last figures turned in by Watney's showed a £23m profit and 24,000 The last among the giants expecting a bonus from Lord Erroll is Scottish and Newcastle Breweries. Latest profits show figures of almost £20m a year.

So drink up!

Allied bid for the hotel It failed, still pos-