HC Deb 03 February 1983 vol 36 c161W
31. Mr. Alton

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to make selling solvents to young people an offence.

Mr. Mellor

As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health announced in reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Paddington (Mr. Wheeler) on 19 January, the Government are consulting statutory and voluntary bodies concerned with solvent misusers on ways of tackling solvent misuse, including the role of the criminal law.

We shall be considering further whether any changes in the law are desirable in the light of responses to that consultation, but on present evidence the Government do not consider that statutory restrictions on the sale of solvents to young people would be desirable.