Committee
Health Committee, 15 Mar 2005
15 Mar 2005 · S2 · Health Committee
Item of business
Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
I declare an interest as a member of Unison.I will ask Dave Watson about the evidence that Unison submitted on the role of environmental health officers in enforcement. You probably heard the previous witnesses' evidence—there was some disagreement about the role of environmental health officers and the role that the police may play in enforcement. Can you comment on the remarks that were made by Mr Greenhill about how he sees environmental health officers working to enforce the legislation?
In the same item of business
The Deputy Convener:
Lab
The convener has now arrived, so I will vacate the chair.
The Convener (Roseanna Cunningham):
SNP
Thanks very much. I am sorry that I am late. Children from a local primary school are visiting the Parliament this afternoon, so I needed at least to go and ...
Paul Waterson (Scottish Licensed Trade Association):
Thank you for inviting us to the committee today. Our association is totally committed to improving the health, safety and welfare not only of our members, w...
The Convener:
SNP
Thank you. I invite one of the Tobacco Manufacturers Association's representatives to make an opening statement.
Christopher Ogden (Tobacco Manufacturers Association):
Thank you for inviting me to speak on behalf of the Tobacco Manufacturers Association. I am accompanied by Dr Steven Stotesbury, who is a scientist from Impe...
The Convener:
SNP
Thank you. Before we move to the question and answer session, I welcome Brian Monteith to the committee. I understand that he does not wish to ask questions,...
Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD):
LD
I am interested to hear the evidence from the Tobacco Manufacturers Association. In your written submission, you acknowledge the fact that tobacco smoke can ...
Christopher Ogden:
My colleague will deal with the specific scientific details in a moment. However, in response to your question, I have to say that we refute that evidence. T...
Mike Rumbles:
LD
So you refute the evidence of 29 World Health Organisation experts from 12 countries.Although the SLTA does not go as far as the Tobacco Manufacturers Associ...
Paul Waterson:
We see the same risk factors as everyone else, and do not think that they are large at all. Indeed, we think that the claims have been grossly exaggerated. F...
Mike Rumbles:
LD
That is exactly what I want to get at. Are you refuting the medical evidence that ETS is carcinogenic? Are you saying that you do not believe that these deat...
Paul Waterson:
As far as smoking is concerned, a comparison of relative risk factors shows that someone who uses a mobile phone has more chance of getting a blood clot in h...
Mike Rumbles:
LD
But how many people have to die from ETS before you think that it is unacceptable?
Stuart Ross (Scottish Licensed Trade Association):
We have read the research that was undertaken for the Scottish Executive by the University of Aberdeen, which concluded that of the 865 people who die each y...
Mike Rumbles:
LD
I understand the Tobacco Manufacturers Association's position, because it has made it absolutely clear.
Steven Stotesbury (Tobacco Manufacturers Association):
Can I come in here?
Mike Rumbles:
LD
I want to pursue this question first.The TMA has said that people do not die from ETS. However, the SLTA has not said that; instead, by refuting the figures,...
Stuart Ross:
We want fewer people to die from it. We have read a lot of research on the subject and we listened to Dr John Reid at Westminster saying that more people wil...
Steven Stotesbury:
I would like to make a point, because I am afraid that if we go on our position may not be understood. Our position is not to say categorically that no one c...
Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab):
Lab
I want to ask about the economic impact of a ban. First, how much duty is generated through taxation for the UK Government from tobacco revenue?
Christopher Ogden:
Last year, it was in the region of £9.6 billion.
Helen Eadie:
Lab
How much money is spent by the national health service in Scotland on treating smoking-related disease?
Christopher Ogden:
That question is best answered by the health authorities, but I understand that the cost, for the United Kingdom as a whole, of treating what are described a...
Helen Eadie:
Lab
It is £200 million in Scotland, according to the Scottish Executive. Do you know the cost of the payment of welfare benefits to those unable to work due to s...
Christopher Ogden:
No, I do not.
Helen Eadie:
Lab
You may be interested to know that it is £40 million. What is the loss of total productivity through smoking-related time off work in Scotland?
Christopher Ogden:
Again, those are figures that are no doubt familiar to the public health authorities, but I am not in a position to comment on them.
Helen Eadie:
Lab
You are arguing that there will be a loss of money to the Exchequer, and I am highlighting the fact that there is also a cost to the Exchequer. If your argum...
Christopher Ogden:
I shall answer that by saying that the tobacco industry has always been at pains not to trade figures in that way. We think that it is irrelevant to the argu...
Helen Eadie:
Lab
The premise of your argument is that it would cost the Exchequer more to ban tobacco smoke than it would not to ban it. I am saying that it would cost the Ex...