§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their estimate of the number of smoking-related premature deaths that would be avoided per year by the measures contained in the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill. [HL678]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathSmoking causes around 120,000 deaths a year in total in the United Kingdom. The likely eventual net effect of measures such as those contained in the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion34WA Bill would be to decrease tobacco consumption, and the size of the decrease could lie in a range up to about 5 per cent. It is reasonable to use the mid-point of this range (2.5 per cent.) to indicate the likely effects of a ban and on this basis we estimate that in the longer term up to 3,000 lives a year could be saved.
§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their estimate of the number of smoking-related premature deaths that would result from a two year delay in introducing the measures contained in the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill. [HL679]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathWe have not made such an estimate. We consider it reasonable to estimate that in the longer term a total of 3,000 lives a year in the United Kingdom could be saved by measures such as those in the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill.
§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their estimate of how much smoking costs the National Health Service each year, and how much money would be saved each year in the National Health Service by the introduction of a ban on tobacco advertising. [HL680]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathSmoking related diseases are estimated to cost the National Health Service in the United Kingdom around £1.5 billion to £1.8 billion each year. If a ban on tobacco advertising led to the estimated 2.5 per cent. reduction in consumption, between about £20 million and £40 million per year might be saved from the NHS budget in England alone. Further proportionate savings could be expected with regard to expenditure in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
(a) How much money they spend each year on advertising and education programmes aimed at stopping people smoking; and (b) what estimate they made of the advertising budget of the tobacco industry in the United Kingdom when preparing to introduce last Session's Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill. [HL681]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathExpenditure on health education campaigns aimed at stopping people smoking in the current and last two years is as follows:
- 1999–2000: £15.9 million
- 2000–01: £13.73 million
- 2001–02: £13.3 million has already been allocated
The regulatory impact assessment published in connection with the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill stated that approximately £100 million was spent annually by United Kingdom tobacco companies on tobacco advertising and promotion, comprising £50 million on press and poster advertising, £8 million on sports sponsorship other 35WA than Formula One, £35 million on sponsorship of the Formula One Grand Prix circuit and about £7 million on direct marketing.
More recent research suggests that the current figure for Formula One sponsorhip by UK tobacco companies is in the region of £70 million.
§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What targets they have set for reductions in tobacco consumption by 2010; what proportion of these targets rely on reductions in tobacco advertising; what proportion of targets for the reduction of coronary heart disease and cancer rely on reductions in tobacco advertising; and what legislation is needed to achieve these targets. [HL682]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathThe White PaperSmoking Kills published in December 1998 set the following targets for 2010:
- (a) to reduce adult smoking (aged 16 and over) in all social classes so that the overall rate falls from 28 per cent. [1996] to 24 per cent. or less by the year 2010;
- (b) to reduce smoking among 11–15 year olds from 13 per cent. [1996] to 9 per cent. or less by 2010;
- (c) to reduce the percentage of women who smoke during pregnancy from 23 per cent. [1995] to 15 per cent. by the year 2010.
The NHS Cancer Plan in September 2000 added an additional target:
(d) to reduce smoking among manual social groups from 32 per cent. [1998] to 26 per cent. by 2010.
The White Paper Our Healthier Nation, published in July 1999 set the following targets for reducing mortality from coronary heart disease and cancer:
- (a) to reduce the death rate from cancer in people under 75 by at least a fifth by 2010—saving up to 100,000 lives in total;
- (b) to reduce the death rate from coronary heart disease and stroke and related diseases in people under 75 years by at least two-fifths by 2010—saving up to 200,000 lives in total.
Tobacco use is a major contributory factor in many cases of cancer and coronary heart disease. Any fall in tobacco consumption as a result of reductions in tobacco advertising will contribute towards reaching these targets, as will a range of other policies designed to reduce the harmful effects of tobacco consumption on public health.
§ Baroness Northoverasked Her Majesty's Government:
What estimate they have made of the possible reduction of annual tobacco consumption in the United Kingdom as a result of a ban on tobacco advertising; and whether this can only be achieved 36WA with legislation to ban tobacco advertising throughout the European Union. [HL683]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathThe likely eventual net effect of measures such as those contained in the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill would be to decrease tobacco consumption, and the size of the decrease could lie in a range up to about 5 per cent. It is reasonable to use the mid-point of this range to indicate the likely effects of a ban. The Government believe that these reductions could be delivered by domestic legislation.
The Government support European Union action to ban transnational tobacco advertising as this would prevent advertising originating in other Member States having an effect in the United Kingdom.
§ Baroness Northoverasked Her Majesty's Government:
What meetings the Secretary of State for Health, his special advisers or officials have held with representatives of the tobacco industry since January 2000 to discuss tobacco, tobacco advertising or the protection of employees from passive smoking at work; and [HL684]
What meetings the Secretary of State for Health, his special advisers or officials have held with members of the advertising industry to discuss tobacco; and [HL685]
What meetings the Prime Minister, members of his policy unit or private staff have held with representatives of the tobacco industry since January 2000 to discuss tobacco, tobacco advertising or the protection of employees from passive smoking at work; and [HL686]
What meetings the Prime Minister, members of his policy unit or private staff have held with members of the advertising industry to discuss tobacco. [HL687]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathIt is not the normal practice of government to release details of meetings or discussions with private individuals or companies.