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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Government to move ahead with standardised cigarette packs | Government to move ahead with standardised cigarette packs |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The government is moving forward with plans to ban branding on cigarette packs in England, Public Health Minister Jane Ellison told MPs. | The government is moving forward with plans to ban branding on cigarette packs in England, Public Health Minister Jane Ellison told MPs. |
| She said an independent report found it was "very likely to have a positive impact" on public health and stop children from starting to smoke. | She said an independent report found it was "very likely to have a positive impact" on public health and stop children from starting to smoke. |
| Ms Ellison said she was publishing draft regulations for a final, "short consultation". | Ms Ellison said she was publishing draft regulations for a final, "short consultation". |
| Labour accused Ms Ellison of kicking the issue "into the long grass". | |
| Shadow Health Secretary Luciana Berger called for immediate legislation to ban branding, telling MPs: "There is an overwhelming body of evidence in favour of standardised packaging and there can be no excuse for a further delay." | |
| 'Vested interests' | |
| She added: "How many more children are going to take up smoking before this government makes a decision?" | |
| She accused the government of "caving in to vested interests" on the issue. | |
| Labour claims the Conservative Party favours the tobacco lobby after a series of delays in a decision on whether to move ahead with a branding ban. | |
| The tobacco industry argues standardised packaging would lead to a rise in illegally smuggled cigarettes in Britain and argues that evidence from Australia, which became the first country to bring in standardised packaging in 2011, shows little impact on smoking rates. | |
| Ms Ellison told MPs the latest independent report, by paediatrician Sir Cyril Chantler, has found evidence that the Australian legislation has had a positive impact. | |
| She said about 200,000 children aged between 11 and 15 start smoking in the UK every year - about 600 a day. | |
| She told MPs: "If this rate of smoking by children was reduced even by 2%, for example, it would mean that 4,000 fewer children take up smoking each year. | She told MPs: "If this rate of smoking by children was reduced even by 2%, for example, it would mean that 4,000 fewer children take up smoking each year. |
| "Sir Cyril's report makes a compelling case that if standardised packaging were introduced it would be very likely to have a positive impact on public health and that these health benefits would include health benefits for children." | "Sir Cyril's report makes a compelling case that if standardised packaging were introduced it would be very likely to have a positive impact on public health and that these health benefits would include health benefits for children." |