Lucy Powell Defends Proposed Outdoor Smoking Ban: Aiming for a Smoke-Free Country, Not Targeting Hospitality Industry

Lucy Powell, the leader of Labour in the Commons, has asserted that prohibiting smoking in outdoor areas of pubs is not intended to harm the hospitality sector. She argued that adopting such restrictions could enhance both the economy and the health of the nation.

Political correspondent @fayebrownSky

Sunday, September 1, 2024, 11:

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A cabinet minister has asserted that the government's proposed plans to prohibit smoking in pub gardens are not meant to target the hospitality sector.

Lucy Powell spoke to Trevor Phillips on Sky News' Sunday Morning, stating that Labour aims to establish a "smoke-free nation" and plans to implement policies to achieve this goal through discussions with potentially impacted businesses.

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The incoming administration had committed to reviving Rishi Sunak's key tobacco legislation, which aimed to prohibit the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after a certain year, ensuring they could never legally purchase tobacco. However, this proposal was set aside prior to the election.

This week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that he might extend the smoking ban to include outdoor venues, aiming to decrease the preventable deaths associated with tobacco consumption.

When questioned on concerns that this action might devastate commerce, Ms. Powell responded, "We are definitely not targeting the hospitality sector. We are behind the hospitality sector. It plays a crucial role in our communities, our main streets, and our economy."

"I won't speculate on the specifics of potential future laws, but I will emphasize that any steps to broaden regulations on smoking will involve thorough discussions with those in the hospitality industry."

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SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has criticized the proposed smoking ban, labeling it a distraction engineered by Labour to shift attention away from their pessimistic austerity policies.

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She also mentioned that there has been a longstanding agreement on the goal of achieving a smoke-free nation, emphasizing that the potential health and economic advantages would be significant.

Smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths annually, and it is estimated to cost England's NHS roughly £2.6 billion each year.

Health advocates have embraced the new proposals, but hospitality industry executives caution that these measures might deliver a crippling blow, especially after the challenges posed by the pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Sir Keir mentioned that the prohibition might cover areas such as pub gardens, outdoor dining establishments, external sports facilities, hospitals, nightclubs, and select small parks.

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Kate Nicholls, the head of the industry group UKHospitality, expressed concerns that this could lead to severe economic damage for hospitality establishments, which have made substantial investments in outdoor areas and are still dealing with financial difficulties.

Michael Kill, the head of the Night Time Industries Association, expressed concern by asking, "Are we at risk of turning into a nanny state? What will follow?"

"While these actions are likely motivated by concerns for public health, they could potentially polarize views and add additional regulatory pressures on companies that are already struggling with significant difficulties."

Several Conservative MPs have expressed their opposition to the initiative, even though they have suggested their own measures to reduce smoking among the youth. Shadow Health Secretary Victoria Atkins shared on X, stating, "Our goal is to shield our kids from starting smoking and vaping. Our legislation for a smoke-free generation aims to accomplish this.

"However, banning outdoor smoking for adults was never included in our agenda. Labour's approach is jeopardizing our hospitality industry."

Reform chief Nigel Farage declared to a newspaper that he would "forever avoid pubs if smoking outdoors were prohibited."

In 2007, the previous Labour administration implemented a prohibition on smoking within bars and various other indoor public areas.

According to Action on Smoking Health (ASH), there was a 2.4% decrease in hospital admissions for heart attacks and a 12.3% decrease in hospital admissions for childhood asthma within one year.

ASH expressed their backing for the government's initiatives, highlighting the necessity for designated outdoor smoking areas to discourage indoor smoking among tobacco users.

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