The original Bill stated that a printer charged with an offence would have to "prove that he could not reasonably have foreseen that [promotion] would be the effect of the advertisement".

But after lobbying from the BPIF, with support from Lord Lucas and input from the DTI, the wording has been changed to "a person does not commit an offence in connection with an advertisement if he could not reasonably have foreseen that that would be the effect of the advertisement".

BPIF head of legal affairs Anne Copley said: "Now the prosecution has to do all the work in showing the printer guilty, rather than the printer having to prove his innocence."

The Bill has its third and final reading in the House of Lords today (8 March) and will then enter the House of Commons, although a date for that stage is not yet available.

Story by Gordon Carson