HC Deb 25 February 2002 vol 380 c749W
Mr. Leigh

To ask the Solicitor-General what action she plans to take to combat the breach of the provisions of the Video Recordings Act 1984 by those selling Restricted 18 videos via mail order advertisements. [35653]

The Solicitor-General

It falls to the police to investigate the possible commission of any offences under the Video Recordings Act 1984 by those selling Restricted 18 videos via mail order advertisements. I share your concerns over this issue and shall refer the matter to the Home Office.

Where the police have instigated proceedings, or referred a case to the Crown Prosecution Service for advice, the CPS will decide whether a prosecution should follow having applied the tests set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

Discontinuance in magistrates courts—Table 1
1999 2000 2001
Total Discontinued Percentage Discontinued Percentage Discontinued Percentage
P01 Avon and Somerset 164,682 12.1 166,001 12.8 172,398 13.1
P02 Bedfordshire 1,132 10.5 1,148 11.9 1,575 14.4
P03 Cambridgeshire 1,537 9.1 1,249 8.5 1,153 10.4
P04 Cheshire 1,915 8.6 2,140 10.1 2,028 9.8
P06 Cleveland 2,206 11.2 2,002 10.0 2,326 11.5
P07 Cumbria 1,627 9.7 1.315 9.6 1,287 9.5
P08 Derbyshire 2,290 11.7 2,215 12.0 2,167 11.1
P09 Devon and Cornwall 3,473 12.2 3,438 12.1 3,089 12.2
P10 Dorset 1,269 9.6 1,636 12.0 1,471 11.6
P11 Durham 1,740 9.7 1,536 9.8 1,509 10.1
P12 Dyfed Powys 1,696 11.5 1,716 12.5 1,717 13.7
P13 Essex 3,477 12.0 3,432 13.7 2,997 11.5
P14 Gloucestershire 2,254 15.1 2,410 16.9 2,318 16.4
P15 Greater Manchester 9,480 10.6 9,410 10.8 9,985 11.1
P16 Gwent 2,364 12.5 2,303 12.3 2,217 12.0
P17 Hampshire 4,333 10.1 3,842 9.2 3,769 10.0
P18 Hertfordshire 1,695 10.0 2,161 11.1 2,280 11.8
P19 Humberside 1,852 8.1 1,962 9.1 2,121 9.9
P20 Kent 4,793 14.4 4,390 13.8 3,816 12.1
P21 Lancashire 8,769 15.5 9,064 16.3 8,834 17.0
P22 Leicestershire 2,925 12.6 2.658 12.3 2,714 12.2
P23 Lincolnshire 1,651 11.0 1,804 12.1 2,463 13.1
P24 Merseyside 5,022 10.9 5,655 12.3 5,074 12.5
P25 Metropolitan and City 20,779 12.3 19,945 12.8 21,477 12.9
P26 Norfolk 1,472 8.4 1,939 11.1 1,850 10.6
P27 Northamptonshire 1,672 12.9 2,060 13.9 2,324 14.7
P28 Northumbria 6,030 11.4 6,659 12.8 6,090 12.0
P29 North Wales 1,579 9.3 1,614 9.6 1,944 11.9
P30 North Yorkshire 1,938 11.3 1,707 11.6 1,577 12.0
P31 Nottinghamshire 3,795 12.5 4,103 13.9 3,866 13.7
P32 South Wales 6,308 13.8 6,276 14.6 6,349 14.6
P33 South Yorkshire 4,049 11.4 4,192 11.7 4,464 12.6
P34 Staffordshire 3,882 13.0 3,536 12.7 3,357 13.2
P35 Suffolk 1,220 9.3 1,361 11.7 1,487 12.1
P36 Surrey 1,660 10.2 1,924 12.1 1,998 13.0
P37 Sussex 3,480 12.9 3,942 15.4 4,043 15.7
P38 Thames Valley 5,449 13.7 5,250 14.5 8,623 16.1
P39 Warwickshire 714 8.4 685 8.5 786 9.1