RIBBLE Valley MP Nigel Evans has been re-elected president of the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group at its annual general meeting.

Mr Evans has been a member of the group since its inception in 1992.

He said: “Alongside being one of parliament’s longest established groups it is also one of the most successful.

“The group has helped deliver value for the consumer and jobs for the industry through successful lobbying of governments, most recently demonstrated with the chancellor’s popular measures on Beer Duty in the last budget.

“I have long argued that pubs are right at the heart of communities and this is particularly true in rural areas such as the Ribble Valley.

“Furthermore it is important to note the employment that the pub industry creates, not just in pubs themselves but also in the manufacture and supply chain.”