Smoking in Pregnancy (Hansard, 26 February 2003)

§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

The Government will continue to take positive action to encourage pregnant women to stop smoking. A health education campaign specifically designed to reach pregnant women and their partners is supported by the NHS Pregnancy Smoking Helpline. Operated on behalf of the Department of Health by the charity QUIT, the helpline not only offers confidential advice but offers callbacks to women to support them through their pregnancy. In 2001–02 and 2002–03 a total of £6 million was allocated to fund the appointment of champions of services for pregnant smokers. An additional strand of this campaign involves publicity aimed at the partners of pregnant women to encourage their support.

The Priorities and Planning Framework published on 2 October 2002 includes a key inequalities target for the reduction by one percentage point a year through the period 2003–04 to 2005–06 in the proportion of women continuing to smoke throughout pregnancy.