§ Mr. AmosTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he proposes to take to discourage 11 to 15-year-olds from smoking regularly, by(a) use of the national curriculum and (b) other efforts in schools.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe statutory order for national curriculum science requires that pupils should know that tobacco is a harmful substance, and that its avoidance contributes to good health. The order also requires that pupils should have opportunities to consider the effects of tobacco on the human body. The National Curriculum Council has issued guidance to all maintained schools in England, offering advice on how schools might incorporate topics about the dangers of smoking into their wider programmes of health education. In addition, my Department provides support, under the grants for education support and training programme, for local initiatives in preventive health education.