§ 17. Mr. John Gunnell (Morley and Rothwell)When he intends to publish regulations implementing the ban on tobacco advertising. [81825]
§ The Minister for Public Health (Ms Tessa Jowell)We hope to publish regulations implementing the ban on tobacco advertising before the summer recess. They will be accompanied by a revised regulatory impact assessment and a further period of consultation will be allowed for before the regulations are laid before the House.
§ Mr. GunnellI thank my right hon. Friend for that reply and for the progress that she is making. I hope that she proposes to make the regulations mandatory because it is important to have action and to have it followed up. If the regulations are not initially mandatory, I hope that they will soon become so. Is my right hon. Friend aware that billboard advertising of tobacco has now been banned in the United States of America—I was informed of that by the British Medical Association—which is a firm measure? It would be helpful if American companies that advertise their wares in the United States had similar difficulties when advertising them here—that goes for other legislation too. I am anxious that we should have tough legislation to stop such tobacco advertising.
§ Ms JowellI thank my hon. Friend. I can confirm that the ban will be statutory and will have the effect of law. We are banning tobacco advertising because we are determined to cut preventable deaths from cancer and heart disease, to protect children and to tackle health inequalities.