Section 70 – Provisions about possession of alcohol
176.Section 70 allows regulations to be laid that would provide a power for the police to search children under 18 for alcohol and to search a person who is 18 or over where that person is suspected of possessing alcohol which they have supplied or intend to supply to a child. Before laying regulations, the Scottish Ministers must carry out a public consultation and send a copy of the proposed regulations to certain people. If Ministers decide to make regulations they will be subject to affirmative procedure, together with an obligation on Ministers to give reasons for making the regulations and present a summary of the consultation responses received. This section is subject to a “sunset clause” in section 71.