Health Bill

It is a bit ironic that Germany is setting us an example of civil liberty. Here we are taking people’s civil liberties away—ones that were fought for many years ago. What has not yet been answered to my satisfaction is how the ban will be enforced. We are entitled to know how a ban on smoking inside vehicles will be enforced. How many people, and at what cost, will be involved in such enforcement? Parliament is entitled to know that. Will it involve 1,500 people, in which case there will be no enforcement, or will it involve 150,000 people, in which case there is a chance that we will see relatively good enforcement. We are entitled to know about that. The Government really ought to take into account the fact that road vehicles are in a completely different caste from buildings. Again, surely the irony does not escape one that, as we have heard, the Deputy Prime Minister believes that 24,000 deaths per annum are caused by road vehicle exhaust fumes. Furthermore, vehicles themselves kill 3,500 people and seriously injure 45,000 a year. Another 55,000 people are less seriously injured. Yet we are passing legislation to ban smoking in cabs and cars. That seems to take completely the wrong route. It will deal with what in my view is a minor problem, if there is any problem at all, while ignoring the huge problem of vehicles themselves. Parliament should not make itself look ridiculous in this way.