Smoking (Hansard, 21 January 1964)

§ 26. Mr. Pavitt
asked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science if he will initiate research into the compulsive urges to smoke, to find out what people get out of smoking, and to examine ways whereby any real needs which may emerge can be satisfied in a less harmful way; and if he will authorise a generous allocation of funds for these purposes.

§ Mr. Hogg
No, Sir. I am satisfied the Medical Research Council is fully aware of the social relevance of this matter and is not prevented by lack of funds from entertaining any scientifically promising project of research in this field.

§ Mr. Pavitt
Is not that an appallingly complacent Answer, in the light of the 72 deaths a day now from lung cancer as compared with only five deaths a day 20 years ago? In preparing his complacent Answer, has the Lord President of the Council taken into consideration the fact that the American evidence shows that the death rate for the smoker is 70 per cent. above the average for the non-smoker, and that for people smoking 40 cigarettes a day it is 120 per cent. above the average? Is not this an indication of the importance of the subject, calling for immediate study by the Medical Research Council? Should not the right hon. and learned Gentleman seize this matter with the urgency with which the Minister of Transport has seized the problem of road accidents, fatalities from which are less than one-third of those from lung cancer?

§ Mr. Hogg
I do not think that anyone is more closely aware of the danger of cigarette smoking than I am or has done more to make his awareness apparent to the public. But the hon. Gentleman has put forward a particular project for research which I do not think would commend itself to the scientists.

§ Mr. Crossman
Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman saying that the motivation of smoking as distinct from the 905 medical aspects of the subject is something not worthy of study? Is that really his considered judgment?

§ Mr. Hogg
No, Sir; but, in order to justify a particular project for scientific research, one must put forward one in which the leads are promising and in which satisfactory experiments can be devised. Naturally, I inquired of the Medical Research Council what it thought of the hon. Gentleman's proposal, as I always do when these individual projects are put forward, and I am bound to say that I concur in its scientific judgment that this is not a correct approach.

§ Mr. Crossman
Is it not possible that, because of the rather narrower view of the Medical Research Council, a wrong decision can be reached? Is not a study of the psychological causes of smoking precisely what doctors are not interested in, but may it not be of very great interest and importance to non-doctors and people concerned with psychological factors rather than the purely medical aspects?

§ Mr. Hogg
If the hon. Gentleman has followed both the Report of the Royal College of Physicians and the recent American report, which I expect is over here by now—I have a copy—he will have found that a certain amount of work has been done in this field. It is not want of interest but the inherent difficulties of ascertaining the truth about the matter which makes it so difficult to devise experiments.

§ Lord Balniel
Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that there are many hon. Members on both sides of the House who would like him to look at his answer again? Is he completely convinced that there is adequate impartial research into the motivation of smoking?

§ Mr. Hogg
I am quite satisfied that there is adequate research. What I am not sure about is that there are adequate answers.

§ Mr. Lipton
Will the Lord President of the Council have a word with the Minister of Health about it? Having said that he is anxious to make the public aware of the dangers of cigarette smoking, will he consider, with the Minister of Health, the very inadequate 906 resources devoted by the Government to advertising the dangers of lung cancer as compared with the millions of £s spent by the cigarette companies on their advertising? That is, at least, a concrete proposition which he could very usefully consider.

§ Mr. Hogg
The Question related to the psychological motivation of smoking.

§ Mr. Pavitt
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the replies, I beg to give notice that I shall seek leave to raise the matter on the Adjournment.