Health Bill [HL]

The noble Earl has expressed it better than I could myself and he is absolutely right. The majority of adult smokers will simply ask for their usual brand. They will not need to ask either for a display or for prices. The regulations are likely to define the maximum area or number of packets that can be seen, so instead of a huge, brightly lit display of literally dozens of packets of cigarettes of the same brand, a much smaller area will be given over to them. We have included "request to display" in the Bill because it is right that customers should be able to see and handle a product before buying it. For example, in Canada, retailers open a small flap to show tobacco products on request. They can have a small display even if it is seen by other people, including children, because that is permitted under the legislation. The point is to not have what the advertisers call a power wall display. That is the point of this part of the legislation. It recognises the need to show the tobacco product to the potential purchaser, should they so desire. These issues will be discussed as the regulations are developed.