New Clause 1
Health Bill [Lords]
2:15 pm
Gillian Merron (Minister of State (Public Health), Department of Health; Lincoln, Labour)
I had thought that we had talked about the difference, but I shall have to go through it again. New clause 1, which is before us and is all that the Committee can deal with, is rather different from the provisions on alcohol. There has been reference to alcohol and tobacco being different. There are some limited legal circumstances in which alcohol can be drunk by under-18s, as we know if we look at the detail of the legislation, whereas tobacco should always be out of reach.
I very much welcome the zeal with which the hon. Gentleman puts his case, because—as I have heard in the Chamber as well as in Committee—not all right hon. and hon. Members on the Opposition Benches share his zeal. On tobacco display, on one of the points on which I had hoped—hope—for greater support, our proposals are there because we want to protect children from the addiction of smoking, which damages their health so badly.