Health Bill

moved Amendment No. 50:"Before Clause 13, insert the following new clause—" ““SALE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS (1)   It shall be an offence for any person carrying on a retail business to sell tobacco products to any person. (2)   Any person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale. (3)   In this section ““tobacco products”” means— (a)   cigarettes, (b)   cigars, (c)   hand-rolling tobacco, and (d)   other smoking tobacco and chewing tobacco.”” The noble Lord said: Having made a very brief Second Reading speech, I would like to remind the Committee where I stand on smoking. When I joined your Lordships’ House nearly 17 years ago I was a very heavy smoker of cigarettes. I promised my children that I would never smoke another cigarette after my maiden speech. Of course, in those days one never actually had to make a maiden speech so I could be smoking cigarettes in vast quantities still to this day. I do, however, smoke the occasional cigar. I think that smoking is a revolting habit and, indeed, a very expensive one, but I dramatically oppose the idea of not being allowed to smoke in certain places. However, the logical conclusion, if we are not to smoke anywhere, is that one should not be able to actually buy any tobacco product. Since tabling this amendment I have, to my shame, discovered that I am a very small shareholder in one of the big tobacco companies. I am disappointed that the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, is not here because he made much play on the fact that this House banned smoking virtually everywhere except the Truro Room. One must not forget that that vote was taken on the very last day we sat before Christmas in 2004. Had it been taken three days earlier, I am quite convinced, and so are many of my colleagues, that it would never have been successful. However, one of the most enjoyable things about being a Member of this House is what one learns. Since tabling this amendment I discovered that 27 per cent of all tobacco products sold are smuggled into this country, thus depriving the Exchequer of a staggering £2.2 billion. I sincerely hope that, if nothing else, this amendment will highlight this problem and that the Minister and his Treasury colleagues will take action to rectify this situation. I beg to move.