Clause 21
Health Bill [Lords]
4:00 pm
Gillian Merron (Minister of State (Public Health), Department of Health; Lincoln, Labour)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Key.
I thank hon. Members for their comments because it is helpful to probe the intent behind the clause, and certainly the considerations that have been put are useful. Perhaps I could clarify that the amendment, if passed, would allow retailers openly to display tobacco to all adults, which of course is not the intention of the Bill. It would also require shops either to create separate adult-only areas just to display tobacco or to remove tobacco displays entirely. I am seriously concerned that that would put small shops at a serious competitive disadvantage. They would be far less able to afford to create such areas, whereas supermarkets and superstores would have no such problem. Even if we put aside the competitive disadvantage, the amendment would ignore the second and important part of our policy, which has perhaps not been aired, but which is to support those who already smoke but want to quit.