HL Deb 17 December 1973 vol 348 cc7-10

2.47 p.m.

THE LORD BISHOP OF SOUTHWARK

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the evidence in successive studies of the danger to health from smoking, and in view of the Government's action in requiring a warning notice to appear on cigarette packets and advertisements, they consider it to be in the public interest for Royal Warrants of Appointment to be granted to suppliers of cigarettes and tobacco, and for these Royal Warrants to be displayed on their wares; and whether they will have conversations with the appropriate authorities.

THE MINISTER OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SECURITY (LORD ABERDARE)

My Lords, the Royal Warrant is a recognition that the manufacturers concerned supply their products to the Royal Household. The selection of products and of manufacturers is a matter for the Royal Household and not for the Government.

THE LORD BISHOP OF SOUTHWARK

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that reply, might I suggest that the—

SEVERAL NOBLE LORDS: No.

THE LORD BISHOP OF SOUTHWARK

My Lords, may I ask that a message be conveyed to the appropriate authorities that, at a time when according to the most recent report of the Royal College of Physicians £52 million has been spent by the tobacco industry on the promotion of the sale of tobacco; and again, according to that report, 20,000 men between the ages of 35 and 64 have died of lung cancer, it might be in the interests of the nation if that particular commendation on two brands of cigarettes were withdrawn?

LORD ABERDARE

No, my Lords. These are two quite different matters. We already have the health warning notice on cigarette packets, and on other advertisements, which draw people's attention to the dangers of smoking. The Royal Warrant, as I said in my original Answer, simply recognises that these manufacturers supply their products to the Royal Household, and there is nothing whatever illegal in supplying cigarettes.

LORD WYNNE-JONES

My Lords, is it not true that as the advertisement appears at the present time, the warning looks almost as though it was an additional advantage that the Government had asked the advertisers to publish?

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, that would not have occurred to me.

LORD AIREDALE

My Lords, regarding packets of ten cigarettes, which we were discussing at Question Time last month, and which certain brewers are refusing to sell in their public houses as a matter of policy, is it asking too much to ask the Government to suggest to the brewers that they might at least co-operate with the anti-smoking campaign to the extent of stocking and selling packets of ten to those people who are trying to cut down their smoking?

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, I am afraid that that does not arise on this Question.

LORD SUDELEY

My Lords, would the Government consider promoting the sale of Turkish cigarettes?—because if you smoke Turkish, you smoke less.

BARONESS BIRK

My Lords, may I ask a question following the original Question, which seems to have been lost sight of? In view of the figures which the right reverend Prelate cited, and many others which I think all of us in this House know, may I ask whether it would not be proper, through the usual channels, for the Government to take up this matter with the Palace? Because these Warrants (will the Minister not agree?) remain year after year and probably are forgotten. Will he not agree that it is a ludicrous situation that we have a Government warning, and at the same time what could be regarded as almost a seal of Royal approval?

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, I do not think that this is really so. It is not a seal of Royal approval; it merely marks the fact that these are the manufacturers who supply to the Royal Household. Many thousands of official guests are entertained by Her Majesty. That is the reason why cigarettes are supplied, and there is nothing whatever against it.

LORD SHINWELL

My Lords, is the noble Lord not aware that some of us think the Royal House are displaying more common sense than are the Government in this matter?

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, the Royal Household and the Government are at one on this matter.

LORD AMULREE

My Lords, does not the noble Lord think that anything that could be done to discourage the practice of smoking cigarettes should be done by the Government, or by the noble Lord's Department?

LORD ABERDARE

Yes, my Lords; we are doing all that we can.

LORD SLATER

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that this particular issue has been threshed out time and time again, with the result that at the moment we have on British Railways the greater part of the smoking compartments converted into non-smoking compartments? Secondly, is this not a matter that ought to be given attention by the individual who is addicted to smoking at all? I speak as an individual member who likes a cigarette and who has smoked ever since he left school, still smokes, and will continue to smoke despite the Government's recommendation.

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, I am interested to hear the noble Lord's views, but I am afraid they do not arise on this Question.

LORD LEATHERLAND

My Lords, would the noble Lord nip along to the other place in the next half hour and urge his right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to increase the tax on cigarettes?

THE LORD BISHOP OF SOUTHWARK

My Lords, may I ask the Minister, despite his replies, whether he could make known through the usual channels that many of us who are concerned with grave social problems are deeply distressed that on cigarette packets there appears what is interpreted by many as a commendation, at a time when £52 million is being spent on the promotion of smoking, which by many people is regarded as a cause of death?

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, these matters have been discussed on many occasions, and I am sure they are well known to Her Majesty's advisers.