Question reference: S3W-05332
- Asked by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 9 October 2007
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Current status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 October 2007
Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the success of test purchasing schemes at reducing sales of alcohol to people under 18.
Answer
The final report of the evaluation of the Fife test purchasing pilot for sales of alcoholto under 18s was published on the Scottish Government’s website today. During the first testpurchase visit 20% of licensed premises failed. However, only 7% of premises failedthe test purchase revisit, suggesting that the first visit had a significant impacton the practice of shop and bar staff on preventing underage sales. This closely reflectsexperience in England and Wales where a recent report by the Home Office on testpurchasing of alcohol showed that of 9,000 attempts to test purchase alcohol byminors, 14.7% succeeded compared with 20% in 2006. Only 8% of premises made at leasttwo sales while fewer than 1% made three sales.