Health Bill [HL]

My father used to live in Northern Ireland; it is a great place with great people. I welcome the fact that they are of independent mind and that they will do things in their way rather than in our way. So Northern Ireland is different. I do not smoke. I am a non-smoker and I ought to declare an interest as an auxiliary member of the Lords and Commons Cigar and Pipe Smokers’ Club. As to not being affected by second-hand obesity or second-hand drinking, by God, there are some second-hand consequences from drinking and alcohol abuse. The number of people who are killed, knifed or gunned down outside public houses is quite significant, and the number of women and children who are badly beaten as a result of drunkenness runs into many thousands every year. But, as I said earlier, the Government will be coming for the drinks industry anyway, so perhaps some of those problems will be solved in the future.