Health and Safety

Just came back from popping in to town.  Technically, my mother told  me to always go with someone.  Realistically, no one else was going or I missed them or something.  So I went stag.  I just had to do random things like top up my phone (such a dumb system; I miss unlimited web and texts for $50/month), get cash, buy sparkling water (four bottles for £1.49 at M&S!), some sundries.  I got carded at Poundland for buying a cutlery set with a knife in it.  The cashier was definitely younger than me, which is why I think he let me get it although I failed the over-21 requirement.
Now that baffles me.  I'm all for safety, and the UK seems to be reallly into 'health and safety' - for instance, there are no ovens in the dorm kitchens because it is a 'health and safety' risk.  We are told every day to sign out when leaving the boarding house for 'health and safety' requirements.  We have 9:30pm check-in to fulfill 'health and safety' requirements.  We had check in at my school in the US, but it was to make sure that people were in the dorm, and never did they say 'This is so that when there is a fire, we'll know who's here.'  That could have been the intent, I don't know.  Anyway, I got my little cutlery set no problem, thank you Poundland cashier.  I'm baffled because I could go buy a case of vodka and drink myself dead, but I can't buy a cutlery set in Poundland?  Very, very odd, England.
We were talking about video cameras in public places, especially in London, in my AS Critical Thinking class today.  Our teacher said that when she worked at the Financial Times, they had a reporter write about the public cameras that are set up all around London.  Then we got into a discussion about whether or not there should be cameras in public places.  I'm fine with this because I'd like to believe that for every time they're staring at a girl's bum on the cameras, these people catch a crime or a potential threat.  Some think it's an invasion of privacy, but I think if you're in a public space - I used the example of standing in Trafalgar Square - you know you're in public.  The guys looking at you on camera could be the guys standing next to you.  The discussion turned to 'well then it's unprofessional for these "guards" to be staring at women's bums on the cameras when they're being paid to protect the people of London by way of public surveillance.'  That's a whole 'nother issue.
Regards for now, must do some homework that's going to take me 30 minutes but is due in a week...lovely...