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Health Bill

My Lords, I did not want to interrupt the Minister when he was in full flow. However, he based his argument on the idea of protecting workers—by which I think he means those who are employed and receive a wage or salary—and that is not an unreasonable objective. However, he said nothing about the position of those who are not employed but are partners in a firm, people such as those whom I instanced in my example. Why should they need protection from each other? If they are both in a position of seniority and are of a like mind, why on earth should they not smoke if they both want to? Secondly, the Minister claims that dangerous substances remain in the air in a vehicle long after the last smoker has left it. Well, for how long? Is it one hour, or two or three, or 10 hours? Is it really to be believed that a car which has been returned to base, as it were, at 6 pm one evening is still poisonous to the next person who climbs into it at 8 am or 9 am o’clock the following day? Perhaps the noble Lord is right, but I should like a little more evidence.