HC Deb 24 November 1981 vol 13 cc739-40
5. Mrs. Faith

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the finding contained in the report of the Health Education Council that 5 per cent. of patients stopped smoking when advised by their own doctor to do so, he will place greater emphasis on the role of the family doctor in his anti-smoking campaign.

The Secretary of State for Social Services (Mr. Norman Fowler)

General practitioners are well placed to advise their patients on the dangers of smoking and have an important part to play in helping people to stop. The Health Education Council and Action on Smoking and Health recently sent every general practitioner a special kit designed to help them to advise their patients on giving up smoking, and I very much welcome that action.

Mrs. Faith

I thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. Given that the death rate from lung cancer and heart disease is higher in Britain than in other countries, will he give every encouragement to doctors to distribute these information kits to their patients? We must recognise the report's finding that if each doctor persuaded 25 people a year to give up this pernicious habit, 500,000 people would stop smoking in one year.

Mr. Fowler

I agree with my hon. Friend. Smoking is a danger to health, and my aim is to reduce the toll of disease and death that is brought about by smoking.

Mr. Ashley

Do the Government intend to give in to various pressures and to back-track on their commitment to impose statutory controls on advertising if voluntary efforts fail? Is it not time that we banned the advertising of cigarettes, inch, ding televised sponsorship of smoking, because of the ill-health and cost involved?

Mr. Fowler

There has been absolutely no change in the Government's policy on smoking. Successive Governments have preferred voluntary agreements. We are currently looking at those agreements, but no decision has yet been taken.

Mr. Beaumont-Dark

Will my right hon. Friend reject some of the advice that has been given him today? Does he agree that if we point out the dangers of smoking it is no part of the Government's job to continue to be "grannies" on every issue? For once, let us leave the issue alone. There are enough warnings already for intelligent people to take note of.

Mr. Fowler

There is a responsibility on Ministers to give advice on the dangers of smoking. There can be no question about the dangers to health of smoking, and I shall continue to give that advice.

Mr. Terry Davis

Does the Secretary of State agree with his predecessor that the current agreement with the tobacco industry is unsatisfactory?

Mr. Fowler

As I said, we are currently looking at the voluntary agreements—not only the agreement with the tobacco industry generally, but the agreement on sports sponsorship. No decisions have yet been taken.