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113
The following correspondence shows the action taken by the Government
Departments :—
Local Government Board,
Whitehall, S.W.
18th March, 1912.
Sir,
Sale of Food and Drugs' Acts—Penalties.
I am directed by the Local Government Board to inform you that
the Secretary of State for the Home Department has recently drawn the
attention of Justices of the Peace to the Home Office circular of the 24th
July, 1902, on the subject of the inadequate penalties which are often
imposed by them for breaches of the Sale of Food and Drugs' Acts.
The Board have received many representations on the same subject,
and they think it desirable that local authorities concerned in the enforcement
of the Acts should be acquainted with the Home Office circulars, a
copy of which is enclosed, for use in cases in which it is desirable to press
for heavy penalties.
It will be observed that the second paragraph of the circular of 24th
July, 1902, refers to particulars of the number of small fines inflicted in
respect of offences under the Acts committed during the year 1900.
Statistics in the Board's possession for the following ten years show that
the proportion of penalties not exceeding 10s. still remains very high, the
proportion which such fines bear to the total number, which was 28½ per
cent. in 1900, being nearly 28 per cent. in 1910.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
F. J. "Willis,
Assistant Secretary.
The Clerk of the County Council, or
The Town Clerk.
Home Office,
Whitehall, S.W.
10th January, 1912.
Sir,
Sale of Food and Drugs' Acts—Penalties.
I am directed by the Secretary of State to say that, in consequence
of representations recently received from Local Authorities charged with
the enforcement of the provisions of the above Acts, he thinks it right to
draw attention to the Home Office circular of the 24th July, 1902, which
will be found reprinted overleaf. Later figures obtained by the Local
Government Board in connection with this subject demonstrate the large
proportion of cases still occurring under these Acts in which penalties are
imposed of such a small amount as to suggest that the offence is regarded
as being of an altogether trivial character. The Secretary of State will