§ Mr. BennTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he has taken to ban oral tobacco products, including Skoal Bandits, following the announcement made by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on 26 February 1988; what representations were made by the United States Government on this matter; and when the report of the committee set up by the Government on carcinogenicity in oral tobacco, oral snuff and Skoal Bandits will be published.
§ Mr. FreemanThe Government are considering the representations we have received on our proposal to ban certain oral tobacco products, and we will make an announcement as soon as possible. Although no formal representations have been received from the United States Government, we are aware of their views.
No specific committee has been set up to look into this matter, but the carcinogenicity of oral tobacco products, has been considered by the expert advisory committee on carcinogenicity on a number of occasions. Advice has been forwarded to Ministers on each occasion, but there are no plans to publish a formal report.