Clause 7 - Developments in technology
Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill
11:45 am
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden, Conservative)
We are making swifter progress. I am anxious that we should have the chance to debate the latter clauses of the Bill, and, indeed, the new clauses, properly. We have only three sittings left and Labour Back Benchers have tabled a new clause, which we obviously want to have time to debate. Nevertheless, it is important to ensure that we do not let a clause slip through on the nod, which is why it is important to debate clause 7 stand part.
The clause typifies the catch-all attitude of the Bill and I question its legislative relevance. As I said, we have not even succeeded in legislating adequately for existing new technology, such as internet provision—disquiet among internet service providers is evidence that we have not got that part of the Bill right. It is ambitious to have a catch-all phrase designed to deal with any subsequent developments in technology relating to publishing and distribution by electronic means that we have not even thought of. It is so futuristic as to make it almost irrelevant. It is more of a statement of intent than a real piece of legislation; it is so generally worded—