Clause 2 - Prohibition of tobacco advertising
Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Mr Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham, Conservative)
My hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. Flook) is making good points that get to the heart of several of the Bill's weaknesses. We are in the realms of discussing infomercials, which are stories written by journalists about the latest tobacco products for newspapers or ''lad's mags''. They may do that without receiving sponsorship from firms. They may be sent samples of cigarettes from several firms, which they can choose to test. In a different capacity, they may attend an event that is sponsored by a tobacco company and enjoy hospitality. That does not constitute sponsorship under the Bill. It is important to know the stage at which the journalist could be guilty of committing an offence unwittingly. We are getting no nearer any definition of that.