Member

Finally, Amendments 141 and 143 tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Rennard, would require a consultation on health warnings on individual cigarettes and cigarette papers. As the noble Lord, Lord Young, said, this matter has been under consideration since 1980—a considerable period of time. The Bill restates, with some modifications, the existing power to make regulations on the features of tobacco products, including cigarette sticks. Not only this, but it goes further and extends this power to other products, including cigarette papers. Therefore, as my noble friend Lady Ramsey predicted I would say, we already have the ability to regulate the information provided on products, which would enable us to mandate health warnings in future. Driving down smoking rates among current smokers is important—