§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the response of those organisations which he approached in connection with the Government's aim of increasing the provision 341W for non-smokers in public places; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EnnalsI am glad to say that the many responses I have had so far have been most heartening.
My approach was twofold. First, I wrote again to organisations I approached a year or so ago. They are not only continuing but intensifying their efforts. I have heard recently, for example, that British Rail aims to increase further the no-smoking accommodation on both inter-city and local services; London Transport has announced that it is considering a complete ban on smoking on buses and on the Underground; one major airline has recently extended facilities for non-smokers and others are considering doing so; in restaurants and catering establishments there has been a marked increase in provisions for nonsmokers; nearly all London theatres now ban smoking; and a growing number of shops of most kinds now display "no-smoking" signs.
At the same time I have had a very good response from a number of other organisations to which I wrote for the first time. For example, two major banks have offered to display notices discouraging smoking in areas used by the public; the National Coal Board is asking staff not to smoke in any place open to the public or at conferences or meetings attended by non-smokers, and it is banning smoking in lifts and other very confined spaces; and the Association of District Councils is recommending member authorities to consider limiting or discouraging smoking in public parts of town halls, advice centres, concert halls, theatres and other local authority buildings.
I am very grateful to all organisations which by their actions help to bring about an improvement in the health of smokers by giving them less opportunity to smoke. They also increase the immediate comfort of the general public and guide public opinion to the view that smoking in confined public places is anti-social and not a habit which is acceptable to the majority of people. I hope their example will be widely followed.