Clause 3 - Exemptions
Health Bill
9:15 pm
Caroline Flint (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Health; Don Valley, Labour)
No, it is not what the Defence Secretary said. I read what he said in the Health Committee, and I suggest that the hon. Gentleman read it as well. It might help him in his deliberations.
I find it ironic that the hon. Gentleman makes a big case about the dangers of smoking in the home. Some of my colleagues might infer that he seeks to ban smoking in the home, since he makes such huge play of it. I hope that none of us in this Committee are suggesting that we do that. I hope that we all recognise that smoking in front of children in the home or car, or in private places with families, is an important issue, but that we must tackle it in other ways. I do not believe that amendments to make areas in a limited number of licensed establishments smoke-free if children have access to them would contribute to reducing smoking at home—if that is his suggestion. I do not believe that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that restrictions on smoking, in and of themselves, increase smoking in the home.