HC Deb 04 December 1991 vol 200 cc158-9W
Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will meet the chairman of the Northern regional health authority to discuss progress towards meeting antismoking targets in Northumberland.

Mr. Dorrell

We regularly meet the chairmen of all the regional health authorities to discuss a wide variety of topics.

Health promotion is a major objective of the Northern regional health authority, as can be seen from the 1990 report by the regional director of public health, a copy of which will be placed in the Library. In its business plan for 1992–93 Northumberland health authority includes an initiative aimed at preventing the incidence of smoking in the children. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Mr. Richard Harbottle, chairman of the Northumberland health authority, for details.

Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he proposes to take to reduce the cost of smoking-related diseases to the national health service in the light of the evidence on cost to the national health service published in the Health Education Authority's report "The Smoking Epidemic";

(2) what is the estimated current cost of smoking-related diseases to the national health service each year;

(3) what assessment he has made of the evidence published in the Health Education Authority's report "The Smoking Epidemic" on the number of deaths a year caused by smoking, and what steps he proposes to take to reduce this toll of smoking-related death and disease.

Mr. Dorrell

We have studied the methodology of the Health Education Authority and concluded that its estimates are the best which are currently available. The costs to the national health service are estimated to be £437 million annually. This figure is for hospital costs only and does not include the costs of the care given by general practitioners or at health clinics or other care in the community.

The Government are currently considering the representations offered in response to the Green Paper "The Health of the Nation", which identified smoking as a key issue. It proposed targets for reducing the proportion of smokers to 22 per cent. in men and 21 per cent. in women by the year 2000. These targets were widely welcomed.

Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he proposes to take to reduce the number of 11 to 15-year-olds who smoke regularly.

Mr. Dorrell

The Government have funded the Health Education Authority's teenage smoking programme which costs £2 million a year over five years. This is the second full year of the programme. The last budget increased the price of tobacco above the rate of inflation. Price increases are known to have a particularly large impact on children's consumption. The Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991, which tightens up the law on sales to children, received Royal Assent in June, and will be implemented shortly. The new voluntary agreement on tobacco advertising, concluded and published on 9 September, contains a range of further measures designed to protect children.

Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of 11 to 15-year-olds smoke regularly.

Mr. Dorrell

"Smoking among secondary school children in 1990"—an inquiry carried out by the Social Survey Division of OPCS on behalf of the Health Departments, ISBN 0–11–691355—X, 1991—reported that 10 per cent. of 11 to 15-year-olds in England smoked regularly, defined as usually smoking one or more cigarettes a week. A copy of this report is available in the Library.

Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he proposes to take about the number of working days lost each year due to smoking-induced diseases.

Mr. Dorrell

The Health Education Authority is actively promoting health in the workplace. To date more than 500 employers have signed the Look After Your Heart charter, undertaking to promote health, including discouraging smoking in the workplace. This scheme covers nearly 4 million employees and has the backing of both the TUC and CBI. In addition, many employers, encouraged by the Health and Safety Executive, are developing and implementing smoking policies to suit their particular workplace. More generally, the Government are currently considering the representations offered in response to the Green Paper "The Health of the Nation", which identified smoking as a key issue.