Health Bill

No doubt my hon. Friend will regard me as something of a spoilsport when I point out the following to him. Last Friday, my parliamentary assistant went to the Bill Office to try to table amendments that would have banned smoking in the outside spaces of establishments where people are served food and drink and in outside spaces where people are required to gather to use public transport or as spectators for sporting or cultural events. She was told by the Clerk that the measures I wanted to include in the Bill are in fact already included under clause 2. It refers to"““areas which are enclosed or substantially enclosed””," and states that the"““appropriate national authority may specify in regulations what ‘enclosed’ and ‘substantially enclosed’ mean.””" I very much hope that the Clerk is right and that the regulations will prevent smoking in those spaces, as per my intention.