Health Bill [HL]

I have the greatest admiration and respect for the noble Earl, Lord Howe, and the principles underlying the amendment he has proposed so elegantly are unexceptionable. My only concern relates to the fact that, as he has suggested, to implement a statute along these lines might ultimately be very difficult to police. But that does not mean that attempts should not be made to introduce legislation to protect youngsters from other people who might buy cigarettes on their behalf. I confess that I was somewhat surprised by his comments in the last debate that he recognised the health hazards associated with smoking but was concerned with issues relating to commercial freedom. I remember very well—I have already shared my personal smoking history with the Committee—that when I became a medical student in 1941, the dean of medicine who was then a professor of anatomy advised all the medical students to smoke, particularly in the dissecting room, to try and dispel the odours. During the war all cigarettes went under the counter. I was a regular smoker, as were all my colleagues, and none of us had the slightest difficulty in obtaining cigarettes even though they were not on display; our friendly local newsagent sold them to us from under the counter. There is nothing in the Bill to prevent retailers from continuing to sell cigarettes. All it will do is make it much more difficult for them to do so on the basis of displays which are likely to attract individuals. Having heard the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart, I cannot resist quoting from World Tobacco, the tobacco industry journal, which stated in 1999: ""If your brand can no longer shout from billboards let alone from the cinema screen … at least court smokers from the retailers’ shelf"." That is an important point. However, the principles underlying the amendment are worthy of warm support and I hope that the Government will give it a fair wind.