Health Bill

I support what the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart, has just said. The noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, I will concede, had a certain amount of justification in his argument because the amendment, as drafted, is not quite tightly enough drawn. ““Physically separate”” does not necessarily mean that there should be a spring-loaded door between the two sections. It could mean just an alcove off a restaurant where people can smoke. I agree that smoke can drift; if the premises are open-plan, so to speak, smoke can drift from the smoking to the non-smoking area. Perhaps the amendment is a little too wide. Do not those who oppose the amendment agree that if the smoking area was totally sealed off—by double doors, if need be—then there can be no objection?