Health: Passive Smoking

Lord Alderdice Excerpts

Tuesday 30th November 2010 Lords Chamber

[Lord Alderdice]

My Lords, on the commitment of Her Majesty’s Government—

[Lord Glentoran]

My Lords, the noble Lord will know that there is a considerable—

--- Later in debate ---

[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?

[Earl Howe]

In answer to my noble friend’s first question, yes, the report has been forwarded to the WHO.

On illicit trade, HMRC leads on tackling the availability of illicit tobacco and has carried out—as I am sure my noble friend knows—a great deal of activity to tackle that market through its overseas network of fiscal crime liaison officers, as well as through activity at the border and inland detection work. HMRC also works closely with local authority trading standards officers. Those efforts have led to a decline in the market share of illicit cigarettes from 21 per cent in 2000 to 11 per cent, according to the latest available figures. However, he is right that hand-rolling tobacco in particular remains a problem.