Member

Amendments 141 and 143, in the names of the noble Lord, Lord Rennard, and the noble Baroness, Lady Walmsley, would commit the Government to consult on regulations mandating health warnings on individual cigarettes. I recognise that the noble Lord and the noble Baroness are asking for a consultation at this stage. When we debated this in 2022, as part of the Health and Care Bill and the Private Member’s Bill from my noble friend Lord Young of Cookham, the advice I received as the then Minister was that there was no or insufficient evidence from the rest of the world and that the warning on cigarette packs was sufficient. Some noble Lords have alluded to this. The evidence at the time was also that it was not common practice for individuals to carry around loose cigarettes, but I take on board the comments made by a number of noble Lords that, actually, someone could just be offered a cigarette at a party or in a social setting.