Health Bill [HL]

I suggest the insertion of a new clause, as is pretty clearly stated in the Marshalled List. There have been a lot of comments today about piecemeal legislation, with things happening one year, then a little bit of legislation the next, and so on. Many feel that legislation has already gone too far in the banning of tobacco while some, like me, think that it has not yet gone far enough and that people should be discouraged even further from smoking tobacco. The Government may not accept any of the amendments that have been tabled during the course of the Bill, although I hope that they will reflect on them and make the Bill stronger by doing so. It is patently obvious that in two years’ time, at the maximum, the Government should come up with a full strategy for the control of tobacco. It should be comprehensive and all-embracing so that everyone knows just where the Government are going and what they want to do about the issue of tobacco. Added to that, we need to know what is happening on the tobacco-smuggling front. That has been mentioned now and then in Committee, but we still do not have any clear evidence whether these measures will increase or decrease smuggling, or of what will happen. A strategy is needed, and we are proposing that by 2010 that strategy should be produced. On a personal note, I wish that we could move ahead to a royal commission on all drugs, including alcohol and tobacco. The noble Lord, Lord Stoddart, commented earlier that we are saying that tobacco is more dangerous than cannabis; indeed, I think it is. We need to look at all the drugs that are available and consider all options for the control of drugs, including tobacco and alcohol. I hope that the Government will consider that in preparing their strategy.