Member

The prohibition on vending machines is in the Bill. This debate reminds me of the debate we had so many years ago in Parliament about banning cigarette vending machines, and we are not in a dissimilar place. I still remember the arguments, and I will make them again. Vending machines do not require any human oversight, which means that it is easier to bypass age-of-sale restrictions and, crucially, it is easier to undertake proxy purchasing on behalf of individuals under the age of 18, even in age-restricted areas. The noble Lord, Lord Young, rightly went into that, giving some helpful illustrations.