Clause 2 - Prohibition of tobacco advertising
Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill [Lords]
9:15 am
Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne, Conservative)
I understand what you say, Mr. Amess, but the repetition is not my fault. The hon. Member for North-West Leicestershire (David Taylor) stoked me up to go round the same course again. In deference to your ruling, I shall explore other issues. However, we might have to return to a discussion of those who work for Dixons, PC World, Homebase and any other company that we want to mention.
I have read clause 5, and I have argued in other Committees that such a way of writing legislation is crass. Clause 2 is titled ''Prohibition of tobacco advertising'', and it sets out what is prohibited, what is an offence and those who would be guilty of committing an offence. I shall not repeat my point about those who work for PC World, Dixons and Currys, or you will get very upset, Mr. Amess. However, if one turns over to the wonderful clause 5, which was anticipated by the hon. Member for
Eastwood, it contradicts the statements in clause 2. That is an idiot's way of writing legislation. [Interruption.] I said at the beginning of our first sitting that it would not be difficult to improve the quality of some of my contributions. If the Bill is idiotic, it follows that anyone who speaks to it will sound idiotic. It is the Bill that is the cause of that problem.
It is simple that when I pick up the Bill, after it is enacted, and it says that I am a criminal if I am involved in the means of distributing advertisements, it should say that I would be a criminal ''unless'' certain things happen. The Minister should deal with that matter. It should not be left until pages later, under a separate clause, because we are debating clause 2. I accept the suggestion made by the hon. Member for Eastwood, because it makes my point and I am sure that when I finally sit down, he will leap to his feet and agree with me. It would be simpler to say that a person is a criminal, unless there are other factors. That would be better than saying, ''You are a criminal'' and then qualifying that statement in a clause that we cannot discuss now because it has not yet been called for debate. Perhaps some staff at PC World, Dixons, Currys and other companies should or should not be caught, but we cannot debate that now.