Clause 8 - Prohibition of free distributions
Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill
12:15 pm
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden, Conservative)
I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I had not thought of such an example. In those circumstances, business men could be thought of as promoting a tobacco product to their clients. Will the Minister clarify the position? I was about to withdraw the amendment, but I shall hold back from doing so until I have heard what she has to say. Such a serious problem illustrates our difficulty, in that we are talking in practical terms about changing the habits of a lifetime. Hitherto, it has been customary for people, particularly in the business community, to hand out tobacco products. Given that they may not be intimately versed in the details of the Bill, they may need considerable warning about what they may or may not do in respect of corporate entertainment and the provision of tobacco products. Will the Minister give us some guidance on that?