§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to recover money from tobacco companies for the NHS treatment of illnesses resulting from tobacco use. [72649]
§ Ms JowellSection 1(2) of the National Health Service Act 1977 requires that the National Health Service be provided free of charge except to the extent that charging is authorised by or under statute.
459WThe Government have no plans to amend the legislation to enable the NHS to recover treatment costs for any cause of ill health.