Member

My fourth point is the very significant impact of the ban on retailers. Crimes against retailers are already at epidemic levels, and many independent shopkeepers are scared about the impact that a generational ban will have on their business and the safety of their staff. There is no getting away from the fact that the weight of responsibility for enforcement of the ban will fall entirely on their shoulders. They will have to navigate the new legal-age threshold, which will change every year and be different from the threshold for other age-limited goods—for example, alcohol. One clear potential effect of the proposed ban is that many small local shops will struggle to remain viable in the face of increased competition from the untaxed, unregulated black market. I fear that many neighbourhood shops will close as a result of this policy. I know my noble friend Lord Sharpe of Epsom will make some further points on this issue.