Health: Passive Smoking

Lord Strathclyde Excerpts

Tuesday 30th November 2010 Lords Chamber

[Lord Glentoran]

My Lords, I wonder whether my noble friend would sit down.

[Lord Strathclyde]

My Lords, we can speak only one at a time. I suggest that my noble friend Lord Alderdice speaks first and then my noble friend Lord Glentoran.

[Noble Lords]

Cross Benches!

[Lord Strathclyde]

Let us hear from a Cross-Bencher first and then from my noble friend Lord Glentoran.

[Lord Alderdice]

My Lords, on Her Majesty’s Government’s commitment after ratification in 2004 to produce a five-year implementation report, I note that the WHO website gives no indication that the report due on 16 March this year was in fact forwarded to the WHO. Will my noble friend confirm whether the report has been forwarded?

In addition, given the enormous amount of smuggled tobacco—accounting for some half of hand-rolled tobacco and 10 per cent of cigarette tobacco in the United Kingdom—what has happened to our commitment under Article 15 to deal with illicit tobacco and, indeed, to the protocol mentioned in the commitment in the Uruguay meeting of earlier this month to ensure that, by 2012, others will also fulfil their responsibilities?