§ Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbottsasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps are being taken to stop the sale of false identities to teenagers via the Internet. [HL4825]
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)The sale of documents, either directly or over the Internet, which purport to prove identity is not unlawful, unless they are forgeries of official documents; for example, passports or driving licences, in which case the sale is unlawful and may be prosecuted under existing legislation.
Where a UK Internet Service Provider (ISP) is advised—usually by law enforcement—that it is hosting illegal material, it has an excellent record in removing it.
It is an offence for anyone to obtain age-restricted products, such as alcohol, when the minimum age requirement is not met. Retailers are responsible for ensuring that reasonable steps are taken to establish the age of the young person.
The Government's plans, however, for a national identity cards scheme would provide a nationally accepted and secure way for young people from the age of 16 to prove their age when they want to buy age restricted products.
The Government welcome the excellent steps taken and progress made by the British Retail Consortium in establishing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS). The scheme will still be useful even when ID cards are widely held, as proof of age checks will still be needed for younger people. The PASS scheme will therefore be useful to bridge this gap.