Tobacco Industry (Hansard, 27 October 1982)

§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke:

I am glad to be able to tell my hon. Friend that discussions with the tobacco industry have led to outline agreement being reached on the matters to which my right hon. Friend referred in his answer of 3 March.

So far as research on health promotion is concerned, the Tobacco Advisory Council has agreed to establish the Health Promotion Research Trust. The trust will be chaired by Sir John Butterfield, Regius Professor of Physic and Master of Downing College at the University of Cambridge. Other trustees will be appointed shortly. The trust will be entirely independent of both Government and the tobacco industry.

The trust's objects will be:

"To commission, fund and at the Trustees' discretion publish the results of a balanced programme of research (other than studies designed directly or indirectly to examine the use and effects of tobacco products) into:

imeans of encouraging people, especially the young, to adopt a more responsible attitude to promoting and maintaining their own health; and
iienvironmental, social and other factors which might affect the achievement of a more responsible attitude to good health."

The Tobacco Advisory Council will provide the trust with up to £11 million for its work over the next three and a half years.

I and my colleagues are very grateful to all parties involved in this important new development. It will provide a valuable supplement to the health research effort at a time when resources are scarce. More details of the trust will be published as soon as it is fully established.

On cigarette advertising, I have on behalf of United Kingdom Health Ministers settled with the Tobacco Advisory Council and the Imported Tobacco Products Advisory Council the outline of a new voluntary agreement to succeed that reached by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Jenkin) in November 1980.

The new agreement will run at least until 31 March 1986. Its main new provisions will be:

(a) clearer presentation of the Government health warning on cigarette posters, press advertisements and packets;
(b) an increase in the space devoted to the health warning on cigarette posters and press advertisements from nine per cent. to 15 per cent. ;

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(c) the inclusion of the health warning on major items of cigarette brand advertising material supplied by companies for display in or on retail shops;
(d) agreement that tobacco companies will neither include cigarette brand advertisements in video cassettes for sale or hire to the public not use new aerial means for such advertising;
(e) agreement that the companies will discuss with my Department any plans to use new electronic media, other than that mentioned above, for cigarette brand advertising;
(f) a further progressive reduction in expenditure on cigarette poster advertising to 50 per cent. in real terms of the level in the year to 31 March 1980 by 31 March 1986.
(g) a progressive reduction in expenditure on cinema advertising of cigarettes to 60 per cent. in real terms of the level in the year to 31 January 1982 by 31 March 1986.
(h) a reduction in the tar ceiling above which cigarette brands are not advertised or promoted.

Under the terms of the separate agreement on tobacco industry sports sponsorship first announced by my hon. Friend the Minister for Sport on 3 March [Vol. 19, c. 156], the health warning which will appear from 1 January 1983 on main media advertising for sporting activities sponsored by cigarette companies will, as far as possible, be consistent with the new specifications we have agreed.

The new provisions will be incorporated as soon as possible into the detailed text of a further voluntary agreement, which will then be published. I regard them as representing a further significant advance on the voluntary agreement negotiated by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wanstead and Woodford in 1980 which itself was a great advance on the agreement announced by written answer in the House by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Ennals) on 8 March 1977.—[Vol. 927, c. 463–5.]

My two main aims have been to ensure that no-one smokes cigarettes without being aware of the health hazards involved, and to restrain the more obtrusive forms of cigarette advertising. We are particularly anxious to protect young people. I believe that the new provisions I have listed go far towards the achievement of these aims, and I am grateful that the tobacco industry has felt able to agree to these further measures.

The agreement relating to the programme of product modification and research—to which successive Governments have attached great importance and which is due to stand in its present form at least until 31 December 1983—will be reviewed in the light of the next report of the Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health and of other evidence that may become available.