Leaked papers from Virginia Bottomley, Health secretary, to the Cabinet, reveal that the government is not aiming for a complete ban on cigarette promotion, but rather a levy on tobacco advertising; another idea is to stop tobacco firms claiming advertising expenditure as an expense for tax purposes.
The paper confirms that the government is opposed to the statutory ban being sought by Labour MP Kevin Barron, to be debated in the Commons next Friday, but wants to toughen the existing voluntary agreements.
Virginia Bottomley’s acceptance that each 1% reduction in smoking could prevent 1,100 deaths from heart disease has brought her heavy criticisms of hypocrisy from both the medical profession and the opposition party.
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