§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if legal proceedings will be taken against any seller or promoter of West German lottery tickets in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if the Government propose to introduce legislation to clarify the legal position with regard to the selling of non-British lottery tickets within the United Kingdom prior to 31 December 1992; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenIt is an offence under section 2 of the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976 to bring foreign lottery tickets into Great Britain for the purpose of their sale, distribution or advertisement; we have no reason to believe that the position will be affected by the advent of the single European market in 1992. We have no plans to introduce legislation to amend the 1976 Act.
Any decision on whether to institute proceedings in respect of an alleged offence under the 1976 Act is a matter for individual chief officers of police. The Crown Prosecution Service is then responsible for deciding independently whether the case should be prosecuted in the courts.