Smoking Ban

Answer: I readily congratulate Newham borough council on the excellent work that it and local authorities up and down the country have done to prepare for the smoking ban. As a result, not only does almost every business know that it needs to make preparations for going smoke-free on Sunday, but almost every member of the public is aware of the change to come. I am delighted that thousands of people have already taken advantage of the excellent stop smoking services provided by the NHS. Thanks to the efforts of the NHS, local councils and many others, we will go on reducing the single biggest cause of illness and premature death in our country.

This is an answer to the Oral question asked on Tuesday, 26 June 2007 by Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour).

Question: Does the Secretary of State agree that Newham council and primary care trust should be congratulated on their work in preparation for this legislation? They have engaged with over 250 businesses and have so far encouraged 2,000 people to quit, in the ““Big Quit”” campaign.

Secondary information