Children and Families Bill

Debate between Baroness Northover and Lord Ribeiro

Monday 18th November 2013 Grand Committee

[Lord Ribeiro (Con)]

My Lords, I hear my name mentioned and I think I ought to say something very briefly. Your Lordships are influenced only by evidence. The evidence following the legislation in 2006 in Scotland and 2007 in England has already shown measurable effects in improving healthcare, particularly among non-smoking bar workers, in whom one study found an 89% reduction in cotinine concentration, which is a specific marker for tobacco smoke exposure.

That benefit should not be restricted to bar workers but should be the right of children who find themselves confined in cars where adults are smoking. I support this amendment very strongly. I hope that my noble friend the Minister will be minded to consider it. I realise that the Government have a programme for behavioural change and education and may wish to pursue that. The research, however, points to the fact that there is an improvement if we reduce second-hand smoke.

[Baroness Northover]

My words in front of me say that this may be a convenient moment for the Committee to adjourn. I know it is not. I am very grateful to noble Lords for abbreviating what they had to say. I am extremely grateful to our Hansard colleagues for staying on beyond their allotted time. I am sure that we will come back to this on Wednesday, but I am afraid that I will have to adjourn the Committee.