§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been under the terms of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 of video shop retailers who have hired out or sold material to under-age children; and if he will make a statement. [27772]
§ Mr. MacleanI refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson) on 21 March,Official Report, column 137.
§ Mr. David AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources are made available to trading standards offices to prevent the dissemination of unclassified videos and to ensure the prosecution of shopkeepers who hire out or sell such videos to under-age children. [27773]
§ Mr. Robert B. JonesI have been asked to reply.
Resources are made available to local authority trading standards offices, as well as various other local authority services, through the other services block standard spending assessment. As the Government do not allocate these resources to specific services, the amount spent by local authorities on trading standards is a matter for individual authorities.