Clause 8 - Displays
Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill [Lords]
12:30 pm
Ms Yvette Cooper (Parliamentary Secretary (Public Health), Department of Health; Pontefract and Castleford, Labour)
In these days of increased international access and trading through the internet, it is important for the clause to clarify that, for example, a Japanese tobacco company that has no presence in the United Kingdom, but which has a website that can be accessed by a person in this country, does not commit an offence in such circumstances. I have made the position extremely clear.
Mr. Wilshire: That is only a restatement of the obvious. We know perfectly well that a Japanese company cannot be held to account in the United Kingdom if it does not operate here. It does not get us far to continue with the circular argument— ''It's here because it's here, and because we all know that it's not necessary.'' The Government can waste their time talking about websites if they want to, but they could say, if they had the stupidity to do so, that it is a criminal offence to look at the internet. I sincerely hope that censorship will not be added to the long list of awful things that the Government do, but one never knows.
I hear what the Minister says. Clearly, however much I press her, we will not get a satisfactory answer on why the issue is considered worthy of inclusion. The record will show that the Government will not produce valid arguments for perfectly valid questions. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.