§ 3. Mr. K. Robinsonasked the Minister of Health what recent action he has taken, and what further steps he proposes to take, to deal with the health problems associated with cigarette smoking, and in particular to discourage young persons from acquiring the smoking habit.
§ 9. Mr. Liptonasked the Minister of Health what action he has taken to date following the report of the Royal College of Physicians on the dangers of cigarette smoking; and what expenditure he has incurred as a result.
§ Mr. PowellInitial guidance has been given to local health authorities, the first batch of publicity material has been issued to them, and further issues are in preparation. The expenditure involved so far will be about £25,000.
§ Mr. RobinsonThat is all very well as far as it goes, but it does not go very far. When will the Minister be in a position to tell the House what is being done about the important recommendations, notably those suggesting a control of cigarette advertising, particularly that directed to young persons, and what does the Minister intend to do 902 about the establishment of anti-smoking clinics within the Health Service?
§ Mr. PowellI am considering the practicability of establishing some antismoking clinics experimentally. On the general question, I must refer to the reply of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 1st May.
§ Mr. LiptonI thank the Minister for adopting the novel but welcome practice of notifying me in advance that my Question would be answered with an earlier Question. When compared with the £800 million which the Government derive from tobacco taxation and the millions of £s spent by tobacco advertisers on increasing the sale of their wares, do not the efforts of the Government to date seem puny and inconclusive?
§ Mr. PowellThere is no direct relationship between the two sets of values which the hon. Gentleman has mentioned. I am sure that it is unwise to move faster in this matter than really useful and effective publicity material can be produced.