HC Deb 13 December 1989 vol 163 cc680-1W
Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons he has decided that some of the work of the committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship should remain confidential; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman

The committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship is an independent advisory committee. It is for the committee to decide on the confidentiality of reports it has commissioned. The committee's reasons for doing so were set out in the answer given to my hon. Friend on 27 October 1989 at column631. I accept that the committee must have the freedom to determine the confidentiality of its own proceedings and of the work it has commissioned if it is to function efficiently.

Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many breaches there have been of the voluntary agreements with the tobacco industry on advertising and sponsorship in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

Before the formation of the committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship (COMATAS) in October 1986, there was no consistent record of breaches of the voluntary agreements. It was to remedy this position that COMATAS was set up. In it first annual report COMATAS recorded 41 breaches and in its second annual report, seven breaches of the voluntary agreement have been recorded and one further complaint was referred to the Advertising Standards Authority which judged it to be in breach of its code of practice.

Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reports considered by the committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorships have not been made available to Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman

The committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship has commissioned and considered four reports on whether certain parts of the voluntary agreements are being observed. These are: a study of poster advertising near schools by Survey Research Associates Ltd; a study of sports sponsorship by the centre for mass communication research at the university of Leicester; and two surveys on advertising at confectioners, tobacconists and newsagents by MaS Research, Marketing and Consultancy Ltd. They have not been made available to Parliament for the reasons given in my reply to my hon. Friend on 27 October at column 631.

Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the terms of reference of the committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship to enable all the information made available to the committee to be made available to Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman

The tobacco industry has recently agreed to meet Ministers with a view to opening renegotiations of the voluntary agreement on advertising. The role of the committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship will be considered in this context.