New Clause 1
Health Bill [Lords]
1:45 pm
Michael Penning (Shadow Minister, Health; Hemel Hempstead, Conservative)
Of course I am more than happy for amendments to be made by the Government, if they were willing to accept this new clause on Report and tidy it up, but it is framed around the alcohol legislation. To touch on the point that the hon. Lady has raised: if someone is fraudulently going out of their way as an under-18-year-old with fake ID, or whatever, to actually break the law—whether to purchase alcohol or cigarettes—it is very difficult for the individual who is running the business to know that that is a piece of fake ID. Siblings often exchange ID.
The new clause was designed not only with people who run legitimate businesses in mind, but also to make sure that anybody—whether they run a legitimate business or are in a black-market situation—realises that not only are they breaking the law to do with duty and the sale of tobacco products, but they are committing a criminal offence if they sell to a minor.