Lord Kamall (Con)

My Lords, in some ways this group will follow on from the last; some of the comments I will make now could be applied to the previous group of amendments. Noble Lords will be aware that, as discussed in the previous group, the licensing regime the Bill sets out is complex. Many of the Bill’s provisions are yet to be determined in regulations, meaning that businesses across the country are faced with something they dread: uncertainty. Some retailers have told me they already see this on top of the double whammy of increases to employer national insurance contributions and the minimum wage, and they have had to face that doing business is more difficult, as is taking on new employees. We all know that the large retailers have public affairs teams, legal teams and compliance teams, all helping them navigate the complexities of changes in legislation. For them, the sale of tobacco and tobacco products counts for a small proportion of their total revenue stream. However, the situation could be very different for small, family-run businesses, staffed by two, three or four people, often working from dawn to dusk—staffing the till and the counter, and sorting out bills and expenses. For many other people, just managing half this workload would be a good day’s work. Imagine, on top of all this, having to find the time to understand, and make changes to abide by, these new regulations.