[holding answer 3 July 2006]: Since 24 November 2005, it has become an offence to sell alcohol anywhere to a person under 18. There are no longer any exceptions.
Under the new licensing regime, we have:
made protection of children from harm a statutory objective of the Licensing Act 2003;
introduced fixed penalty notices for selling to children, and for purchase or attempted purchase by children, and these offences apply equally to mail order or internet purchases;
increased the fines fivefold for offences of selling to children, from a maximum of £1,000 up to £5,000;
ensured that personal licences can now be lost for a first offence;
ensured that premises licences, including those for a fast food outlet or a mail order or internet company, are subject to review for such behaviour, with temporary closures, reduced hours and licence revocation if necessary;
brought forward the Violent Crime Reduction Bill with proposals for a new offence of persistent selling to children and a power to close offending retailers; and
created powers by which premises licences can be made subject to conditions restricting or prohibiting the presence of children.