§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences have been recorded in respect of(a) confectioners and tobacconists and (b) other retailers of the sale of tobacco products to those aged under 16 in each of the last five years; how many police cautions have been issued; and what has been the average fine levied. [115141]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe offence of selling tobacco to persons under the age of 16 is a summary offence and does not form part of the recorded crime series.
Available data taken from the Home Office Cautions and Court Proceedings Databases are given in the table. We do not hold the type of retailer for this offence because information is not recorded on the characteristics of all cases held on the database apart from those that are evident from the description of the offence with which the defendant has been charged.
Number of offenders cautioned, defendants presecuted and convicted and average fine given for offences relating to the sale
of tobacco to persons aged under 161, England and Wales, 1994–98
Year Total cautioned Total prosecuted Total convicted Average fine (£) 1994 13 108 83 228 1995 8 173 142 230 1996 1 140 119 226 1997 5 138 119 242 1998 — 173 135 225 1 Offences under Section 7 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1993 as amended by Section 1 of the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991.