§ 4. Mr. Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield)If he will make a statement on the action he is taking to combat smoking. [98929]
§ The Secretary of State for Health (Mr. Alan Milburn)The Government's strategy on tobacco control is set out in the White Paper, "Smoking Kills". It includes commitments to increase funding, to reduce tobacco consumption and to ban tobacco advertising. We will honour all those commitments.
§ Mr. BurdenI thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. Is he aware that, recently, the Under-Secretary of State for Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Ms Stuart) and I launched the latest phase in the campaign for helping Birmingham to stop smoking. Does he agree that that campaign offers a good example of co-operation between agencies, which involved not only "Smoke Free Birmingham", the health authority and trusts, but local authorities as well? Our local newspaper the Birmingham Evening Mail is doing its bit by displaying anti-smoking posters on the back of more than 80 delivery lorries. Would he welcome that, as well as the involvement of young people in the campaign? Two students from the university of Central England—Matt Preston and Leon Ostle—have been active in designing posters.
§ Mr. MilburnIt is always gratifying when the press and media take a positive interest in health issues. I especially congratulate the Birmingham Evening Mail on the part it played in the local campaign—as I also congratulate my hon. Friends. The issue is extremely important, and it is equally important that we get a ban on tobacco advertising as quickly as we can. We know that tobacco consumption kills about 120,000 people each year. Far too much of the advertising is aimed directly at young people, so it is heartening to hear that, in Birmingham, young people are involved in the campaign.
459 I can tell my hon. Friend and the House that, from 13 December, the Government will launch the biggest public education campaign about the dangers of smoking that this country has ever seen.
§ Mrs. Caroline Spelman (Meriden)Given that the Government are at odds with their chief medical officer over their exemption of formula one racing from the ban on tobacco advertising, does the Secretary of State still believe that a ban on sponsorship will help to reduce smoking? If he does, what possible medical justification is there for the Government to delay moves to prohibit tobacco sponsorship for formula one until 2006?
§ Mr. MilburnThe answer to the question about whether the Government still support the ban on tobacco advertising is yes. I understand that, like a bunch of Johnny-come-latelys, the Opposition now support that policy too. Of course, they had 18 years to ban tobacco advertising, but they did precisely nothing about it—no ban on tobacco advertising, no service development and no policy development.