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Proceeding contribution from Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour) in the House of Lords on Monday, 9 March 2009. It occurred during Debate on bill and Committee proceeding on Health Bill [HL].


Health Bill [HL]

All right, if we are going into real personal experiences: my father smoked all his life from the time that he was 13, all the time that he was fighting for this country and being a prisoner of war in Germany. He smoked all his life: cigarettes, pipe, cigars, anything you like to speak of. He died when he was 84. So he was all right. My grandfather also smoked a pipe and cigarettes all his life; he died when he was 93. All these personal experiences get us nowhere because people die from all sorts of diseases for all sorts of reasons. I was going to ask the Minister when I was quoting some statistics about people who die from smoking—before she shook her head—if she would confirm that that is not actually known. It is not put on a death certificate whether people have died from smoking. She will find that those figures are not clinical but statistical. We should take those things into account. I am going to sit down because I can see that the Committee is getting very impatient and wants to get on with its business. I want it to get on with its business as well. So, although I have stacks of things still to say, in order to respect the Committee and its wish to carry on, I will sit down. Clause 19 agreed.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
708 c402GC 
Session
2008-09
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords Grand Committee
Subjects
Children Advertising Age Canada Health services Health hazards Health authorities NHS Northern Ireland Proof of identity New Zealand Young people Shops Tobacco Smuggling Iceland Vending machines
Legislation
Health Bill (HL) 2008-09
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk