A Practical Guide to Test Purchasing in Scotland

Foreword to the Guide

This document sets out the guidance to be adopted by those authorities and agencies that intend to report criminal offences based on evidence obtained through the use of children (or young people) to test purchase age - restricted goods.

This guide is based on the Local Authority Coordinators of Regulatory Services ( LACORS) guidance for England and Wales, the Practical Guide to Test Purchasing (published April 2006), and its predecessor, the Code of Best Practice on the involvement of children and young people in the enforcement of legislation concerning the sale of age-restricted goods (published 2002). It has been prepared with the assistance of LACORS, and with advice from Crown Office and the Procurator Fiscal Service ( COPFS), by the Scottish Executive Enforcement Advisory Group on Age - restricted Sales in consultation with the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland ( SCOTSS), Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland ( ACPOS), business representatives and health interest groups and agencies.

The Scottish Commissioner for Children and Young People was consulted about tobacco and alcohol Test Purchasing.