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Health Bill

I do not want to go into detail, but I cannot resist rising very briefly because the noble Lord, Lord Naseby, has on a pretty consistent basis throughout our discussions prayed in aid the proportion of the population who smoke. I just want to remind him that there is reasonable and respectable survey evidence—whether it meets the standards required by him or by the noble Lord, Lord Skidelsky, I am not sure—which shows that some seven out of 10 people who smoke say that they want to give up. It is instructive that the ban in Ireland has demonstrated that in 2004 cigarette sales were 15 per cent down on 2003. So while the evidence is not perfect, bans themselves seem to help people to give up smoking, which is not in the best interests of their health. That is manifest in a reduction in cigarette sales. I put that gently on the record, not to score a point but to remind the Committee that there is some evidence in this direction.