Cabinet agrees partial smoking ban
Ananova
www.ananova.com
26th October 2005
The government is to publish a bill to ban smoking in enclosed public places in England, but private members' clubs and pubs where no food is served will be exempt.

The health secretary, Patricia Hewitt [main picture - right], announced the decision today, following days of wrangling in the cabinet over the extent of the proposed ban.

The compromise reached will be seen as a victory for Ms Hewitt's predecessor as health secretary, John Reid, who wanted the government to stick to Labour's manifesto pledge to ban smoking in the workplace, but exempt membership clubs and pubs where no food is served.

Yesterday's Press: The health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, will face a cabinet-level battle to win support for a ban on smoking in public places, including all private members' clubs, save for sealed rooms. She wants to get agreement today with a view to publishing the bill.

Ms Hewitt has been facing resistance from some government departments who want a more readily enforceable total ban without exemptions. She is privately critical of the culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, [pictured above left] who wrote to the anti-smoking lobbyists Ash in terms that can be interpreted as suggesting she wants a total ban without exemptions.

In a statement, Ms Hewitt said: "I shall introduce a health bill tomorrow [Thursday 27th October 2005] to the House of Commons. "As promised in Labour's manifesto, the health bill will include a ban on smoking in enclosed workplaces and public places, which will cover 99% of the workforce."

Ms Hewitt said the cabinet had agreed to make all restaurants and pubs preparing and serving food smoke-free. But she said membership clubs would be exempt from the ban, and non-food pubs and bars would be "free to choose whether to allow smoking, or be smoke-free".

Smoking at the bar will be prohibited in all venues, and the government will consult on how this can be achieved, whether by introducing separate smoking rooms or areas to protect staff. A review will be carried out after three years to measure the impact of the changes.

Ms Hewitt said: "I believe this bill will be very widely welcomed as a major step forward in protecting people from second-hand smoke, and improving the health of the nation."

James Johnson, chairman of the British Medical Association, expressed "utter disappointment" at the "wasted opportunity to protect the public's health".

"The government has thrown away the opportunity of a lifetime to protect the public's health. It is astonishing," he said. "I cannot believe that, after consulting for three months, this government had decided not to listen to the vast amount of conclusive evidence that second-hand smoke kills and what was needed was a total ban."

Professor Alex Markham, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "We are utterly dismayed that the government has not listened to doctors, health charities and the public, all of whom have voiced overwhelming support for a smoke-free law without exemptions.

"The compromised law will be unworkable. It also sends out a terrible message: that the government is prepared to protect the health of some workers while leaving others exposed to the seriously damaging effects of second-hand smoke.

"Sadly, people will die as a consequence of this half-hearted decision."

Brendan Barber, the general secretary of the TUC, said: "This missed opportunity is very disappointing. The government is now going ahead with proposals that were overwhelmingly rejected in a public consultation as unworkable. If ministers cannot agree among themselves, then they should give MPs a free vote."