Health Bill

Having produced a reaction in some parts of the Committee—I am not sure whether it is a genuine one—let me reassure the Committee that I said very carefully that last December we announced our intention to consult on raising the minimum age limit for the sale of tobacco. I also said that the consultation would take place within the next month and that the results would be considered carefully before a final decision was made. We think that is the kind of public debate that a number of noble Lords are asking for. The consultation will propose only the raising of the age for sale to 18 years. That will be the proposition on which we will consult. I repeat that Clause 13 was introduced with cross-party support during the passage of the Bill through the other place. This is not being snuck in as some cunning plan on our part; it was discussed and debated in the other place. We are going through a public consultation and there will be the debate that noble Lords have asked for. There is no cunning plan from the Government to push the age up to 21. I gave a clear explanation of the circumstances in which, at a later stage, if society wanted to have a higher age limit, the Bill as drafted would enable that to take place. I assure noble Lords that a plan is not being brewed up in Richmond House. As a health Minister, I say that we must keep our paranoia at a reasonable level. We will consult on raising the age to 18, and there will be the public debate that people want.