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Health Bill

I was just saying that that was the point that the noble Lord, Lord Tebbit, was making about the amendment that has been moved—that it does not change the conditions, but leaves them as they were. The conditions were not changing or worsening. It was in that context that I made my statement, which was picked up by the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart. I was referring to what the noble Lord, Lord Tebbit, had said. I was then going to say that, although the amendment would not change their conditions, it would deny them the protection from the effects of second-hand smoke that is being extended to everyone else. The other argument was that employees could always go along and negotiate with their employer about an area becoming smoke-free. Presumably, if they did not get their way and were not able to achieve that, they could move on elsewhere. However, that argument could have been used over the years against any of the statutory improvements in working conditions or conditions of service that have ever been enacted.