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From the official website:

Government claims over underage drinking are ‘ridiculous’ once the figures are actually examined, the Liberal Democrats said today.
A Home Office press release today claims that the results of the national Tackling Underage Sales of Alcohol Campaign show that children were only able to obtain alcohol in 14.7 per cent of cases.
However, the figures reveal that 40 per cent of licensed premises were failing to ask for identification on the first visit by the inspection team, with the number only dropping after warnings were issued.
Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster MP said:

"No amount of Home Office spin can conceal the fact that an enormous number of pubs, off-licences and supermarkets are still selling alcohol to children.
"For the Government to claim these figures a success is frankly ridiculous. The fact is that 40% of the licensed premises targeted failed to check for identification and happily sold alcohol to minors.
"By continually failing to prosecute those shops who do sell alcohol to minors the Government has allowed a culture of impunity to form.
"We cannot be duped into believing that underage drinking is under control when there is clear evidence to suggest quite the contrary."



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