HC Deb 13 November 1958 vol 595 c73W
89. Mr. Hastings

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the fact that although it is illegal to sell cigarettes to children, they can, and do, purchase cigarettes freely from automatic machines, and that this goes far to undo the propaganda that is carried out in schools; and whether he will introduce legislation to make the sale of cigarettes from automatic machines illegal.

Mr. R. A. Butler

Section 7 (2) of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933, enables a summary court, if satisfied on complaint that any automatic machine for the sale of tobacco is being extensively used by persons apparently under the age of 16, to order precautions to be taken to prevent the machine being so used or, if necessary, its removal. On the information before me I do not feel justified in proposing a further restriction.