ACS

Plans to introduce a negative licensing system for retailers were yesterday debated in Parliament. The Government plans to introduce the new sanctions for retailers who repeatedly sell tobacco to children in the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill. These sanctions can include a ban on a premises, or an individual selling tobacco, for up to one year.


The Government’s proposals were debated at the Committee stage, as were amendments lobbied for by ACS. The Opposition amendments included the suggestion to decreasing the time frame for offences from two years to one, and reducing the length of the ban to three months as is currently the case with alcohol sanctions. Also included was a proposition to make it a legal requirement for the store manager to be notified after each offence, along with additional clauses to the Bill which would make proxy purchasing and attempting to purchase tobacco underage a criminal offence.


In response to these amendments the Justice Minister, David Hanson, reiterated the Government’s refusal to alter the two year period and the maximum length of ban. However, he did agree that a notification process was needed to ensure that retailers are given the opportunity to get their house in order.


Hanson also said that he felt there was scope to introduce legislation making it an offence to proxy purchase. However, he remained unconvinced about making it an offence for underage people to attempt to purchase, concerned that this would criminalise young people. The Minister agreed to consider the notification and proxy purchasing amendments, and that if there were no unforeseen problem, he would introduce them at the Bill’s next stage.

ACS will continue to work closely with Minister's Conservative MPs on the Bill.