The hon. Lady is talking persuasively about the effect of packaging and how it influences people. Ann McNeill and others have said that it is precisely the "power wall" of display that influences people, yet the hon. Lady is against doing anything about that.

The hon. Lady is talking persuasively about the effect of packaging and how it influences people. Ann McNeill and others have said that it is precisely the "power wall" of display that influences people, yet the hon. Lady is against doing anything about that.

The difference is that tobacco is an adult product, so there is no reason not to display it. I shall come on to that issue later. There would not necessarily have to be a display ban here, as the new clause might make the display much less attractive by making...

The difference is that tobacco is an adult product, so there is no reason not to display it. I shall come on to that issue later. There would not necessarily have to be a display ban here, as the new clause might make the display much less attractive by making...

I am going to carry on as I have almost concluded my remarks. The argument against plain packs is that they make it easier to counterfeit tobacco products, but it is difficult to distinguish between counterfeits and existing packs in any case, and there are covert markings on most packs,...

I am going to carry on as I have almost concluded my remarks. The argument against plain packs is that they make it easier to counterfeit tobacco products, but it is difficult to distinguish between counterfeits and existing packs in any case, and there are covert markings on most packs,...

Does the hon. Lady accept that a figure of between £1,850 and £5,000 is far too much for a small retailer to bear?

Does the hon. Lady accept that a figure of between £1,850 and £5,000 is far too much for a small retailer to bear?

Roughly speaking, around half the people who smoke die, one way or another, as a result of being smokers. Then we have had the effort by the tobacco industry to get into what might be described as tobacco-branded accessories, which involves selling something that looks like Marlboro or Lucky Strike,...

Roughly speaking, around half the people who smoke die, one way or another, as a result of being smokers. Then we have had the effort by the tobacco industry to get into what might be described as tobacco-branded accessories, which involves selling something that looks like Marlboro or Lucky Strike,...

The right hon. Gentleman is making some excellent points. He mentioned that half the people who take up smoking will eventually die from it, but has he made any estimate of the number of children, who are now taking up smoking in far too great a number because of the...

The right hon. Gentleman is making some excellent points. He mentioned that half the people who take up smoking will eventually die from it, but has he made any estimate of the number of children, who are now taking up smoking in far too great a number because of the...

No, I will not give way. Other people want to speak. Hardly anybody takes up smoking as an adult. Smoking is taken up by children or those in their late teens. Recently at the O2 Centre in Greenwich—as I understand it, O2 is not one of the oxygens, but it...

No, I will not give way. Other people want to speak. Hardly anybody takes up smoking as an adult. Smoking is taken up by children or those in their late teens. Recently at the O2 Centre in Greenwich—as I understand it, O2 is not one of the oxygens, but it...

They were wrong then and they are wrong now.

They were wrong then and they are wrong now.

Just to help my right hon. Friend with the figures, 120,000 people die each year from smoking-related diseases, which is about 400 a day—the equivalent of the number on a jumbo jet falling out of the sky. That is the number of young people whom the tobacco companies need to...

Just to help my right hon. Friend with the figures, 120,000 people die each year from smoking-related diseases, which is about 400 a day—the equivalent of the number on a jumbo jet falling out of the sky. That is the number of young people whom the tobacco companies need to...

I think that I was the first ever person in the House to point out that the tobacco industry needs to recruit 120,000 new smokers a year to make up for the ones it kills in that year. We have to remember that, because the tobacco companies will be standing...

I think that I was the first ever person in the House to point out that the tobacco industry needs to recruit 120,000 new smokers a year to make up for the ones it kills in that year. We have to remember that, because the tobacco companies will be standing...

Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

The Smee report did say what the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) said, but it also said that people smoke or not depending on whether they have positive or negative attitudes to cigarettes. Surely advertising gives them positive ones.

The Smee report did say what the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) said, but it also said that people smoke or not depending on whether they have positive or negative attitudes to cigarettes. Surely advertising gives them positive ones.

I thank my right hon. Friend. My new clause 6 would force the tobacco industry to disclose all the information about its scientific and market research. At present, the people with a duty to promote public health, which includes the Government—and, one would hope, the Opposition—as well as Parliament, are...

I thank my right hon. Friend. My new clause 6 would force the tobacco industry to disclose all the information about its scientific and market research. At present, the people with a duty to promote public health, which includes the Government—and, one would hope, the Opposition—as well as Parliament, are...

Does the hon. Gentleman not accept that one person’s choice to smoke affects other people’s choice not to smoke? One person’s freedom stops at my nose when it comes to smoking. Although in this issue we are concerned particularly about young people, does he not accept that one person’s choice...

Does the hon. Gentleman not accept that one person’s choice to smoke affects other people’s choice not to smoke? One person’s freedom stops at my nose when it comes to smoking. Although in this issue we are concerned particularly about young people, does he not accept that one person’s choice...

Well, I am glad that the right hon. Gentleman is happy with his position at the time on that issue. The point here is twofold. The right hon. Gentleman’s argument about the misery of tobacco contained one fatal flaw, which is that tobacco is bought by adults. It is a...

Well, I am glad that the right hon. Gentleman is happy with his position at the time on that issue. The point here is twofold. The right hon. Gentleman’s argument about the misery of tobacco contained one fatal flaw, which is that tobacco is bought by adults. It is a...

Adding to that observant point, does the hon. Gentleman agree that, as the large retailers can afford to change their displays and small retailers cannot, those who are addicted to tobacco will be driven to larger shops not just for their cigarettes but for other things as well, therefore achieving...

Adding to that observant point, does the hon. Gentleman agree that, as the large retailers can afford to change their displays and small retailers cannot, those who are addicted to tobacco will be driven to larger shops not just for their cigarettes but for other things as well, therefore achieving...

No, I do not. We are getting slightly off the mark here, but the hon. Lady has the freedom to take her nose somewhere else if she does not like what she is smelling. That is the whole point of freedom and choice. We have heard from the right hon....

No, I do not. We are getting slightly off the mark here, but the hon. Lady has the freedom to take her nose somewhere else if she does not like what she is smelling. That is the whole point of freedom and choice. We have heard from the right hon....

Will the hon. Gentleman acknowledge that we banned advertising and promotion?

Will the hon. Gentleman acknowledge that we banned advertising and promotion?

I intend to speak only briefly as I know that other Members want to contribute and time is limited. There are a few points I want to make however, largely in response to the points made by the right hon. Members for Holborn and St. Pancras (Frank Dobson) and for...

I intend to speak only briefly as I know that other Members want to contribute and time is limited. There are a few points I want to make however, largely in response to the points made by the right hon. Members for Holborn and St. Pancras (Frank Dobson) and for...

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right, and I hope Labour Members will take that into account.

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right, and I hope Labour Members will take that into account.