MPs back plans for phased smoking ban

MPs person backed plans to marque it amerciable for anyone presently aged 15 oregon younger to ever bargain cigarettes successful the UK.

The thought was primitively projected by Rishi Sunak's Conservative authorities but was taken guardant by Labour aft erstwhile authorities ran retired of clip to walk earlier July's wide election.

The caller Tobacco and Vapes measure passed its archetypal Commons hurdle comfortably by 415 votes to 47.

However, immoderate Tory and Lib Dem MPs raised concerns astir the interaction connected civilian liberties.

The measure volition look further scrutiny from MPs and peers but is apt to go law.

Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs were fixed a escaped vote, meaning they did not person to travel a enactment line.

Conservative person Kemi Badenoch and erstwhile Home Secretary Suella Braverman were among 35 Tories who voted against the bill, portion 23 supported it.

Seven Liberal Democrats and 4 Reform UK MPs besides opposed the legislation.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said gradually expanding the property radical tin bargain baccy would make "the archetypal smoke-free procreation and yet a smoke-free nation".

He told the Commons the measures successful the bill, which besides see steps to tackle younker vaping, "add up to the astir important nationalist wellness involution successful a generation".

Streeting argued the measure would assistance displacement the absorption of healthcare "from attraction to prevention" and trim pressures connected the NHS.

"Smokers are much apt to request NHS services, beryllium admitted to hospital, driblet retired of the workforce and connected to welfare, and request societal attraction years earlier than if they didn’t smoke," helium added.

Tory shadiness wellness caput Edward Argar said the government's measure "started from a spot of bully intentions" and helium supported the objectives of easing pressures connected the NHS and preventing children taking up addictive habits.

However, helium raised concerns astir caller powers for ministers to marque it amerciable to fume successful circumstantial outdoor spaces, which were not successful the erstwhile measure projected by the Conservatives.

Earlier this period the authorities confirmed it had dropped plans to prohibition smoking successful pub and edifice gardens successful England, pursuing fears astir the interaction connected the hospitality industry.

But it is inactive considering banning smoking extracurricular schools, hospitals and successful children's playgrounds, taxable to consultation.

Argar said helium was acrophobic a prohibition could beryllium expanded to much outdoor spaces successful the future.

Liberal Democrat wellness spokeswoman Helen Morgan, who voted for the bill, said her enactment was "100% supportive" of measures to tackle younker vaping successful the legislation.

However, she said a phased smoking prohibition was "problematic" and "raises issues of practicality" and "civil liberties".

She warned it raised the imaginable that radical who chose to commencement smoking would perchance person to transportation an ID paper for the remainder of their lives, thing she "strongly opposed" owed to "issues of privateness and idiosyncratic liberty".

Meanwhile, Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell argued "banning things precise seldom works", adding: "Surely we should beryllium promoting the conception of state with work and allowing radical to marque choices astir their ain lives?"

Defending the plans, Streeting said baccy was "uniquely addictive" and harmful.

"There is nary state successful addiction," helium told MPs.

The authorities besides includes a prohibition connected vape advertizing and sponsorship, arsenic good arsenic powers to restrict the flavours and packaging of vapes successful an effort to trim their entreaty to children.

Streeting said: "This measure volition travel down connected the vaping manufacture similar a ton of bricks to forestall a caller procreation of children and young radical from getting hooked connected nicotine."