Smoking in cars to be banned

MPs in the House of Commons have voted in favour of amendment to the Children and Families Bill, thereby recommending a ban on smoking in cars when there are children present in England.

The vote does not force the government to bring such a change into law, but has passed with a substantial majority and the recommendation is seen to have substantial public support.

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During voting last night, 376 MPs supported the amendment, with 107 in opposition – giving the proposed ban a substantial 269-vote majority. That’s greater than when the ban on smoking in public places was introduced.

So while it doesn’t guarantee the smoking ban coming into English law, sources have told the BBC that parliament has made its feelings on the subject clear, and that such a ban will soon be forthcoming.

The same vote also gave Welsh ministers the right to make their own decision about whether a similar ban should also be introduced into Wales. There will now need to be a separate vote amongst the Welsh government to decide whether they too want to make it illegal to smoke in cars while children are present.

While the Welsh assembly considers its own options, a bill to bring about a ban in Scotland is already due to be presented this year and in Northern Ireland the health minister has announced a consultation is planned.

Those opposed to the smoking in cars ban have suggested that such a law would infringe on the public’s personal freedoms. But as Liberal Democrat health minister Norman Lamb told Radio 4’s World Tonight programme on Monday:

“You have to ask yourself the question, ‘How important is the liberty that we’re infringing here?’

“The liberty to smoke in your car in front of a child doesn’t seem that important and protecting a child’s health does seem to me to be incredibly important.”

Shadow public health minister Luciana Berger described the result as “a great victory for child health” in England.

Image: PHIL NOBLE/Newscom/RTR

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By motoringresearch.com