Orders of the Day — Smoking in Public Places (Wales) Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 11:14 am on 18 March 2005.

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Photo of Edward Garnier Edward Garnier Conservative, Harborough 11:14, 18 March 2005

I have made a specific point of examining the Register of Members' Interests, so perhaps the hon. Gentleman would like to pop down to the Table and have a look at it. If he looks at the entry titled, "GARNIER, Edward", he will see that I have no interest to declare. I have no connection, financial or otherwise, with the Tobacco Manufacturers Association. However, I have two close friends who work for the association: Mr. John Carlisle, the former Member for Luton North, and its chief executive, Mr. Timothy Lord. I make no secret of the fact that I have met them on any number of occasions over the past few years. I have met them for lunch and dinner. I have met them socially and to discuss and be briefed about matters of interest to the association. However, I am not in their pocket—would that I were—and I receive no financial benefit from that.

I want the legislation that we pass in the House to be properly understood in its wider constitutional context. The hon. Gentleman will remember that I intervened on him during our consideration of the Prevention of Terrorism Bill—it was probably when he was making a speech at about 8 am last Friday. He was well-motivated and wanted the anti-terrorism legislation to go through, and was comforted by the fact that the Home Secretary had told hon. Members, "Don't worry; the Bill will provide for judicial oversight over the making of control orders." My worry was that the hon. Gentleman had not read the Home Secretary's amendment, so he did not appreciate how limited and restricted the judicial oversight would be.

To coin a phrase, I have no doubt that a cigarette paper could not be put between the antipathy to smoking and its consequences felt by the hon. Gentleman and me. However, irrespective of our views about smoking and its health effects, I have a duty as a Member of Parliament to ensure that we pass good legislation that does not unwittingly offend what constitution we have or produce unintended consequences. Like the hon. Gentleman, I want the incidence of smoking reduced. Like him, I want the population of Wales—and that of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland—to benefit from greater and wider public health. I want more education in schools about the damaging effects of smoking, and I do not care whether that takes places in Welsh or English schools.