Results 1-20 of 52 for smoking speaker:Gillian Merron

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: ...a post-2010 cross-Government health inequalities strategy. As we have heard today, the Government also have a strong record on taking action to address the causes of ill health, including on smoking, which is a real driver of inequality. I hope that all right hon. and hon. Members present will join me in welcoming the measures on tobacco control in the Health Bill, which prohibit the sale...

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: ..., the House spoke and the Government gave effect to that. I gently suggest that it is time he accepted not only the will of the House, but the Government's efforts to protect young people from smoking and help others to quit.

[Hugh Bayley in the Chair] — Health Inequalities (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: ..., but there are many major NHS programmes, such as those for cancer or coronary heart disease, that have a health inequalities dimension, as do the public health prevention programmes on smoking, alcohol and obesity. In primary care, improving access for and outreach to disadvantaged groups in areas is a priority. We also fund a range of specific initiatives to support the delivery of the...

Written Answers — Health: Exercise: Health Education (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: ...physical activity through their own policy areas such as Healthy Schools, Further Education, Children and Young People's Health Programme and Change4Life etc. The two full-time staff members are smoking cessation delivery managers in the central Department. The programme lead for supporting local tobacco control also contributes time to this work, but her overall responsibilities are for...

Written Answers — Health: Smoking: Death (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: The Government are committed to reducing the number of smoking-related deaths. Our comprehensive tobacco control strategy introduced in 1998. In England there are around 2.4 million fewer smokers, with smoking prevalence down from 28 per cent. in 1998 to 21 per cent. in 2007. The existing six-strand tobacco strategy tackles smoking and the effects of smoke on other people our achievements...

Written Answers — Health: Smoking: Health Services (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: The information requested is not available centrally. The provision of free national health service stop smoking services across England for the last 10 years has resulted in over 4 million quit dates being set and 70,000 lives being saved over the 10 year period. Records of quit attempts are collected and managed at local level by the NHS Stop Smoking Service. "NHS Stop Smoking Services:...

Written Answers — Health: Tobacco: Advertising (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: ...; paying particular attention to any impact which regulation may have on retailers and others. The reduction in the prevalence of tobacco advertising has contributed to the declining prevalence of smoking and to the protection of young people from campaigns aimed at recruiting new smokers. This progress has been achieved without any significant adverse impact on retailers.

Written Answers — Health: Tobacco: Young People (12 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: Protecting young people from smoking was a key theme of the 2008 Consultation on the Future of Tobacco Control and will be one of the overarching goals of the new tobacco control strategy that will be published by the end of this year. The Government believe that reducing the availability of tobacco through the enforcement of existing legislation, while using supportive means to prevent young...

Free Fruit in Schools (10 Nov 2009) has video

Gillian Merron: ...to the development of a third of all cancers, and that increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is the second most important cancer prevention strategy that we have to hand, after cutting out smoking—we have just discussed that issue in the House. Under the Government-funded school fruit and vegetable scheme, children aged four to six at local authority maintained infant, primary...

Health Bill [ Lords] (Programme) (No. 2): Clause 22 — Power to prohibit or restrict sales from vending machines (10 Nov 2009) has video

Gillian Merron: ...to ban tobacco sales from vending machines completely. As I have previously explained, vending machines are the usual source of cigarettes for 10 per cent. of 11 to 15-year-olds who say that they smoke—some 200,000 young people in 2007. These are the new recruits that the tobacco industry needs, to replace those who die. Throughout the passage of the Bill, we have heard many powerful...

Health Bill [ Lords] (Programme) (No. 2): Clause 22 — Power to prohibit or restrict sales from vending machines (10 Nov 2009) has video

Gillian Merron: ...of some assistance. It would also be a wise entrepreneur, I believe, working in the tobacco industry who looks to broaden their activities in the current climate in which fewer and fewer people are smoking. I have explained that the Government are fully committed to protecting our children from the damage caused by smoking and to supporting those who want to quit. The prohibition of sales...

Health Bill [ Lords] (Programme) (No. 2): Clause 22 — Power to prohibit or restrict sales from vending machines (10 Nov 2009) has video

Gillian Merron: ...out of hours, which is no longer the case. We think it right and proper to give effect to the will of the House because those vending machines exist for the convenience and temptation of those who smoke and as a means of recruiting new young smokers. As I have said, prohibiting the sale of tobacco from vending machines will be a major step forward in tackling the very serious problem of...

Written Answers — Health: Smoking (10 Nov 2009)

Gillian Merron: National health service primary care trusts have had responsibility for the provision of healthcare services in publicly run prisons from 2006. Nicotine Replacement Therapy and professional NHS Stop Smoking Services support are now available to prisoners who want to give up smoking, on a basis broadly equivalent to that in the outside community. Last year (2008-09), nearly 10,000 prisoners...

Written Answers — Health: National No Smoking Day (13 Oct 2009)

Gillian Merron: We will make funding available for No Smoking Day's 2010 campaign at around the same level as last year, on a regional basis.

New Member: New Clause 1 — Purchase of tobacco on behalf of children (12 Oct 2009) has video

Gillian Merron: ...the wording of new clause 4, which appears to have been lifted directly from the Licensing Act 2003, and speaks of members of clubs and tobacco consumption "on relevant premises". We know that smoking inside premises open to the public, including members' clubs, is no longer permitted under smoke-free legislation, so the wording will not work for the purpose for which it is intended....