Written question asked by Patsy Calton (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 25 February 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 20 March 2003. It was answered by Nicholas Brown (Labour) on Thursday, 20 March 2003 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Dept for Work and Pensions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the Government has to assess the number of workers exposed to second hand smoke in the workplace.

Answer: Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the effects on workers of passive smoking in the workplace. [99358] Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans the Government have to assess the number of workers exposed to second hand smoke in the workplace. [99982] Mr. Nicholas Brown: Research by the Department of Health's Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH) into the general effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is continuing. The results of a survey on smoking behaviour and attitudes, undertaken by the Office for National Statistics in 2002, are due to be published on behalf of the Department of Health this summer.

Secondary information