---

Health Bill

I, too, support the amendment and congratulate the noble Earl, Lord Howe, on the manner in which he presented it to us. He showed a great knowledge of the stage and of the difficulties that would be caused by the Bill. I simply want to add some other famous names of people who it would be very difficult to depict without the actor smoking. Winston Churchill is one example. I always remember Winston Churchill having a cigar in one hand and giving the victory sign with the other. He was never without a cigar. In addition, Franklin D Roosevelt was never without a cigarette, and Groucho Marx was another fellow who always had a cigar in his hand and often in his mouth. One could go on with a long list of people. How would you depict a mining community—for example, the one in ““How Green Was My Valley””—without the miners smoking? They smoked—God help them—because they had such an awful job and it gave them some comfort. People do not realise what comfort it can give to people who work or exist in stressful circumstances. So I welcome the amendment and I sincerely hope that, on this occasion at least, the Minister will be sympathetic and forthcoming.