§ Mr. CoakerTo ask the Attorney-General how many successful prosecutions there have been(a) nationally and (b) in Nottinghamshire in each of the last five years of retailers for selling cigarettes to children under 16 years of age. [3450]
§ The Attorney-GeneralOffences of selling tobacco to children are generally prosecuted by local Trading Standards offices, and proceedings are handled by the Crown Prosecution Service only on those occasions when they are initiated by the police.
No figures are available for the cases handled by the Crown Prosecution Service since the CPS does not maintain central records by reference to particular offences. The Home Office have, however, provided the following statistics for the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts and convicted at all courts for the offence of selling cigarettes to persons under 161. in Nottinghamshire Police Force Area and England and Wales 1991–95.
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Nottinghamshire police force area: Prosecutions 4 4 — 3 1 Convictions 4 4 — 3 1 England and Wales: Prosecutions 101 74 143 98 155 Convictions 85 57 108 80 128 1An offence under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 Section 7 as amended by the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991 Section 1. Source
Home Office.