Am I correct in saying that if a person goes into a hotel and is charged £3 for a packet of cigarettes which normally costs £2.80, no offence is committed?
SECTION 73.
Question proposed: "That section 73 stand part of the Bill."
Yes.
We received representations last year from vending machine operators.
I am not talking about vending machines. I want to know if a waiter commits an offence if he charges a person more than the standard price for a packet of cigarettes.
This section amends the provisions about selling at a higher price. This means they are sold at a lower price.
No, they are sold at a higher price.
I am told it is a fixed price because three quarters of the price is tax. If the hotel wants to increase the price to £3, we would look for a pro ratareturn on the tax. The price is fixed to control it from that point of view.
A hotelier cannot charge a customer more than the normal retail price.
Yes.
I did not know that. It is an offence to charge the customer more than the normal retail price?
The purpose of the section is to take into account the representations from the vending machine operators. Last year we tried to overcome that problem.
This is the way to do it.
Last year I made a case for some operators in my constituency.
Question put and agreed to.