§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Attorney-General in how many cases magistrates' courts and Crown Courts, respectively, have awarded compensation to innocent buyers against sellers convicted of offences under the Trade Descriptions Act; and in how many and what percentage of such cases such awards were made on the application of the victim.
§ Mr. Robert MaclennanI have been asked to reply.
My Department has been notified of 327 cases in which compensation has been awarded following a successful prosecution under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. It would not be possible, without undue expense, to differentiate between the awards made in magistrates' and Crown Courts, nor to say on whose application compensation was awarded.