Lucy Powell Defends Proposed Outdoor Smoking Ban, Asserting Support for Hospitality Industry Amid Health Push

Lucy Powell, the leader of the Labour Party in the Commons, has defended proposals to prohibit smoking in outdoor areas of pubs, asserting that a smoke-free nation would positively impact both the economy and healthcare services.

Political correspondent @fayebrownSky

Sunday, September 1, 2024, 11:

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A cabinet minister has firmly stated that the government's proposed ban on smoking in pub gardens is not an assault on the hospitality sector.

Lucy Powell spoke on Sky News' Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, stating that the Labour Party aims to establish a "smoke-free country." She emphasized that any steps taken toward this goal will be implemented after consulting with potentially impacted businesses.

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The recently formed administration had committed to reviving Rishi Sunak's prominent tobacco legislation, aimed at prohibiting the sale of cigarettes to individuals aged 14 and younger, a plan that was postponed prior to the elections.

This week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer indicated that his measures might extend to prohibiting smoking in outdoor spaces as well, aiming to decrease the preventable deaths associated with tobacco consumption.

When questioned on the backlash suggesting the decision might harm businesses, Ms. Powell responded, "We are definitely not targeting the hospitality sector. We are supportive of it since it plays a crucial role in our communities, on our main streets, and in our overall economy."

"I won't speculate on the contents of upcoming bills, but I will emphasize that any actions to broaden regulations concerning smoking will be thoroughly discussed with stakeholders in the hospitality sector."

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

Annually, smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths and is estimated to cost England's NHS roughly £2.6 billion.

Health advocates have praised the new proposals, but hospitality industry executives caution that these measures might further endanger businesses already struggling from the pandemic and rising living costs.

Sir Keir mentioned that the prohibition might cover areas such as beer gardens, alfresco dining spots, outdoor sports facilities, hospitals, nightclubs, and select smaller parks.

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Kate Nicholls, the head of UKHospitality, expressed concerns that this poses a significant economic threat to hospitality establishments, which have heavily invested in outdoor areas with genuine intentions and are still dealing with financial difficulties.

Michael Kill, the chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, commented, "This prompts a crucial inquiry: Are we on the verge of evolving into a nanny state? What will follow?"

"Although these actions are likely motivated by concerns for public health, they could potentially polarize viewpoints and add more regulatory pressures on companies that are already dealing with significant difficulties."

Several Conservative MPs have voiced opposition to the strategy, even though they have suggested their own measures to reduce smoking among the youth. Shadow Health Secretary Victoria Atkins expressed on X, "Our goal is to shield our kids from starting smoking and vaping. Our legislation for a smoke-free generation was crafted with this purpose in mind."

"However, our agenda did not include prohibiting adults from smoking outdoors. Labour's approach is jeopardizing our hospitality industry."

Reform leader Nigel Farage informed a newspaper that he would "never visit a pub again if they prohibited smoking outdoors".

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

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

ASH has expressed support for the government's initiatives, emphasizing the necessity for designated outdoor smoking areas to discourage indoor smoking among tobacco users.

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