Lucy Powell Defends Proposed Outdoor Smoking Ban, Asserts It’s Not an Attack on Hospitality Industry

Lucy Powell, the Labour Party's leader in the Commons, has argued that prohibiting smoking in outdoor areas of pubs is not meant to harm the hospitality sector. She supports the idea, suggesting that a ban could positively impact both the economy and the health service.

Political correspondent @fayebrownSky

Sunday, September 1, 2024, 11:

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A cabinet minister has asserted that the government's proposed legislation to prohibit smoking in pub gardens is not an assault on the hospitality sector.

Lucy Powell spoke to Trevor Phillips on Sky News' Sunday Morning, expressing Labour's goal to establish a "smoke-free country." She mentioned that steps towards this objective would be taken following "consultations" with potentially impacted businesses.

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The recently formed administration had committed to reviving Rishi Sunak's key tobacco legislation, which aimed to prohibit the sale of cigarettes to individuals who are 14 years old and younger, indefinitely. However, this plan was put on hold prior to the elections.

This week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer indicated the possibility of extending the smoking ban to include outdoor venues as well, aiming to decrease the number of deaths that are preventable and associated with tobacco consumption.

In response to concerns that this decision might harm businesses, Ms. Powell stated, "We are definitely not targeting the hospitality sector. We stand behind the hospitality industry. It plays a crucial role in our communities, our main streets, and our economy."

"I won't speculate on the contents of upcoming legislation, 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 described the proposed smoking ban as a diversion tactic by Labour to shift attention away from their bleak austerity policies.

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She mentioned that "for quite some time, there has been a unanimous agreement on achieving a smoke-free nation," and the advantages to health and economy "would be substantial."

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

Health advocates have praised the new proposals, but hospitality industry executives caution that these measures might deliver a devastating 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 beer garden spaces, open-air dining establishments, exterior sports facilities, hospitals, nightclubs, and select smaller parks.

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Kate Nicholls, the top executive at UKHospitality, expressed concern that this situation "poses a significant economic threat to hospitality establishments" which have "heavily invested in outdoor areas in good faith and are still dealing with financial difficulties."

Michael Kill, the chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, posed the question: "Are we on the verge of turning into a nanny state? What comes after this?

"Although these policies are likely motivated by concerns for public health, there is a possibility that they could polarize views and add further regulatory demands on companies that are already dealing with significant difficulties."

Several Conservative MPs expressed their opposition to the plan, even though they too had suggested measures to limit smoking among the youth. Shadow Health Secretary Victoria Atkins shared on X, saying, "Our goal is to shield our children from starting to smoke and vape. Our legislation aimed at creating a smoke-free generation was crafted with this purpose in mind."

"However, we never intended to prevent 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 smoking outdoors were prohibited."

The previous Labour administration implemented a prohibition on smoking within bars and other indoor public areas in 2007.

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

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

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