§ Lord Braine of Wheatleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What information they have about the effects of (a) smoking and (b) passive smoking on a female child aged two where (i) the mother smokes in her home in front of the child; and (ii) the child is taken into a public house; and whether they will place in the Library of the House any studies which show the effects of (aa) smoking and (bb) passive smoking on the health of a two year-old child. [HL183]
§ Baroness Jay of PaddingtonWe are not aware of any studies on the effect of passive smoking on the health of a female two year-old. However, we understand that the Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH), which will be publishing its report to the Chief Medical Officer in the spring, will set out the scientific assessment of the risks to children from passive smoking. The relevant section of the report will be based on Department of Health sponsored research overviews of passive smoking and childhood respiratory disease, and these papers are currently being published in the journalThorax.