§ 15. Mr. Milneasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to put cigar advertising on television and in the Press on a similar footing to cigarette advertising.
§ Sir K. JosephI have no plans for introducing legislation for this purpose.
§ Mr. MilneWill the right hon. Gentleman have a closer look at this, because the legislation banning cigarette advertising is being undermined by the wide boys of the advertising industry who, putting profits before people, are changing the techniques of their packaging and print- 222 ing, and making cigar packets resemble cigarette packets and using them in widespread advertising? Is this not something at which he should look closely?
§ Sir K. JosephThe Royal College of Physicians' report distinguished starkly between the dangers of cigar and cigarette smoking and advised that cigar smoking did not present risks on anything like the scale of cigarette smoking.
§ Mr. AshtonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the television advertising for Benson and Hedges cigars is exactly the same, using exactly the same sort of packet as that for Benson and Hedges cigarette advertising, and that until virtually the last second of the television advertisement the viewer is totally unaware that the advertisement is not for cigarettes?
§ Sir K. JosephI had not realised that. I take note of what the hon. Gentleman says and will inquire into it.