§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is his policy on the provision of smoking rooms for the use of patients, staff and visitors within NHS hospitals; [2966]
(2) how many employees of the Rotherham hospital trust signed a petition seeking the provision of a smoking room at Rotherham district general hospital; and what account he took of the petition before he wrote to the hon. Member for Wentworth recently on this subject; [2970]
(3) under what regulation Rotherham general hospital has barred a person from smoking in his own motor vehicle in the car park at the hospital; and what guidance he has issued on that matter; [3021]
(4) what advice was sought from the South Yorkshire fire service in regard to the prohibition of smoking by the Rotherham hospital trust; [2961]
(5) what considerations underlay (a) his approval of the ban on smoking at Rotherham district general hospital and (b) his Department's letter to the hon. Member for Wentworth in respect of the provision of smoking rooms in hospitals. [3024]
§ Mr. HoramThe Department of Health issued guidance in 1992 (HSG(92)14), copies of which are available in the Library, to all national health service authorities and trusts, in line with the "Health of the Nation" White Paper, requesting that they implement policies to enable the national health service to become smoke free. Whilst the guidance sets out the basic requirements, detailed implementation is the responsibility of individual authorities and trusts. It is 871W therefore for local managers and clinicians to decide whether they feel it necessary or practicable to set aside smoking rooms for staff and patients.
Information on an individual national health service trust's implementation of these policies is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. A. Baker, chairman of Rotherham General Hospitals national health service trust, for details of the trust's policy.