Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill — Second Reading — 29 Apr 2002 at 21:43

The majority of MPs voted in favour of giving the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill its Second Reading, which meant it could proceed to the next stage in the legislative process and eventually become the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002.

They did this by voting against changing the motion before the House from:

• That the Bill be read a Second Time

to:

• This house, whilst supporting the aim of reducing the number of deaths from smoking,
• declines to give a Second Reading to the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill
• because there is insufficient evidence that its provisions will lead to a quantifiable reduction in tobacco consumption;
• because it does not allow for a mechanism for testing and reflection upon the assumptions upon which the Bill is based; and
• because it does nothing to combat the increase in the prevalence of smoking amongst teenagers and other vulnerable groups due to the growth in the importation and sale of illegal tobacco products.^[1]

An earlier Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill was considered by Parliament in 2001-2002 but didn't become law.^[2]

• [1] Liam Fox MP, House of Commons, 29 April 2002
• [2] Explanatory Notes to Tobacco Advertising And Promotion Act 2002

Debate in Parliament | Historical Hansard | Source |