Health Bill

This is fascinating stuff, given the way that we have been proceeding with this Bill. I say to the noble Lord, Lord Palmer, that the Government have no intention of prohibiting the sale of tobacco products in this country to those considered old enough to use them, as proposed by the new clause. A number of noble Lords will have heard me in full flood on the subject of our belief as a Government in choice. I will spare the Committee the full text on the subject but we believe that people must have the option to make choices about their lifestyle. The Government believe that it is right for people to have the choice to smoke but that it is also right that people are made aware of the risk of smoking and are supported in any attempts to quit. I compliment the noble Lord on his self-discipline in that area. Importantly, we believe that at the same time it is right that others should be protected from exposure to hazardous second-hand tobacco smoke, as we have debated at great length in Committee. This is what we are achieving through this legislation, through which smoking will be eliminated in virtually every enclosed public place and workplace in this country. The Government’s tobacco policy is aimed at reducing smoking prevalence rates, and supporting smokers to quit. The department’s strategy is far reaching, and the UK leads the world in many areas to reduce the consumption of tobacco with programmes to help people who want to quit through highly skilled and easily accessible NHS stop smoking services, and increased availability of therapies to help smokers to quit; reducing tobacco promotion; keeping smoking in the front of the public’s mind, through media and education campaigns; and reducing the availability of tobacco, including action on shops that sell cigarettes to children and reducing tobacco smuggling. Given the evidence of the impacts of smoking on the health of smokers, and those around them, the benefits of reducing smoking rates are clear. Nevertheless, as a Government we believe that the best way to reduce smoking prevalence is through encouraging and supportive health policy not through outright statutory prohibition on retail sales; therefore, we do not support this new clause.