Health Bill [HL]

I also support the amendment. I chair CitizenCard, which is a proof-of-age card mostly funded by the tobacco industry—not by the Government—and by other industries that contribute to the sale of goods such as alcohol. The provision would be a very good thing. At the moment, shopkeepers who belong to our scheme—almost 2 million proof-of-age cards have been sold—keep a diary on the desk. If a child whom they think is under age comes to them and asks to buy tobacco and they refuse because they have no proof of age, they keep a record that they have refused the child. However, if an adult comes into the shop at the same time, buys the cigarettes and passes them to the child, the tobacconist is then tarred with the same brush. Many small shop keepers would welcome the provision and it would certainly help them with the very difficult problem of controlling the sale of tobacco to underage children.