LBRO to draw up plans to simplify law on sale of age-restricted products

The organisation that supports the improvement of local authority regulatory services has announced that it is to draw up new proposals for tackling the sale of age-restricted products.

LBRO said it plans to concentrate on four areas:

• Simpler legislation: LBRO said retailers face inconsistent expectations, and that a simplified approach would reduce illegal sales of age-restricted products and reduce burdens on businesses. Having clearer expectations would mean retailers could train their employees more effectively.
• Extension of Primary Authority: Expansion of the organisation’s Primary Authority scheme “could offer a more consistent approach to managing age-restricted products”. LBRO said common approaches could be developed through inspection plans, incorporating the internal training and test purchasing that many businesses already do.
• Better guidance: Retailers have expressed concern over the targeting, organisation and follow-up of test purchasing. LBRO said new guidance should provide clarity – “for example, ensuring that businesses are informed when staff refuse sales to test purchase volunteers, and tackle uncertainties around online purchases”.
• Enhanced visibility of local authority support: LBRO said businesses should be encouraged to take advantage of local regulators' advice, training and award schemes, and more could be done to share best practice and experiences of local authorities.

The proposals follow a report by the Age-Restricted Products Review Group – comprising leading retailers and trade associations – that called for the law on underage sales to be simplified and for test purchasing using deception to be used only with prior independent authorisation.

LBRO chairman Clive Grace said: “Many businesses invest heavily in controls to prevent young people from buying age-restricted products, but feel that regulators do not acknowledge their contribution.

“Local businesses have ‘on the ground’ knowledge that can be put to such good use in preventing illegal sales and tackling wider issues arising from them such as anti-social behaviour.”

Home Secretary Theresa May revealed at the Conservative Party conference earlier this week that fines for under-age sales of alcohol would be doubled. Shops and bars that persistently sell alcohol to children will also be shut down.