§ Mr. MealeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the figures for people smoking cigarettes in the United Kingdom during the first three quarters of 1988; and whether this represents an increase or decrease over the previous period.
§ Mr. FreemanInformation is not available in the form requested. However, consumers' expenditure on cigarettes in the first three quarters of 1988 is estimated to have been £4,440 million at constant 1985 prices. These statistics are not adjusted for seasonal variation and so cannot be compared with the immediately preceding period. They show little change from expenditure on cigarettes at 1985 prices in the first three quarters of 1987 (£4,416 million).