Issue - meetings

This report informs Members of the work undertaken by the council’s trading standards service to prevent the sales of age-restricted products and seeks approval for the programme of action for the next 12 months in relation to the enforcement of:-

i)                   The Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991 in relation to cigarettes/tobacco.

ii)                 The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 in relation to aerosol paint.

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Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised to note the report and adopt the programme of enforcement action of the next 12 months

Decision of the Executive Member:

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  In order that the Council can meet its legal obligations.

Members received a report informing them of the work undertaken by the Council’s trading standards service to prevent the sales of age-restricted products. The report sought specific member approval for the programme of action for the next 12 months in relation to the enforcement of The Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991 in relation to cigarettes/tobacco and the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 in relation to aerosol paint.

The report presented the following options for consideration:

(a)               Option 1 – The Council should continue with a programme of education and enforcement action set out in paragraph 4 of the report for the next 12 months.

(b)               Option 2 – The Council may adopt a different programme of education enforcement.

Officers reported that there had been a large reduction in the number of illegal sales of alcohol taking place. He referred to Annex 1 of the report which indicated that in 2003/04 62 test purchase visits had taken place with illegal sales being recorded at 34% of these. In 2007/08 291 visits were recorded with illegal sales accounting for only 8% of these.

Members welcomed the report and congratulated officers on the reduction in  illegal sales. Congratulations were also directed at those young people who had been involved in the test purchasing.

Members asked if it was possible to obtain a breakdown by ward of the results of the test purchasing activity and officers agreed to provide this information. ¹

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised to note the report and adopt the programme of enforcement action of the next 12 months

Decision of the Executive Member:

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  In order that the Council can meet its legal obligations.