[Intl-tobacco] Scotland: Protest as tobacco adverts stay (fwd)

[Robert Weissman]

Protest as tobacco adverts stay
by MURRAY RITCHIE
Source: The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland), Friday, 6/22/01

THE Scottish Parliament will not use its powers to prohibit tobacco
advertising, Henry McLeish made clear after Labour dropped its manifesto
commitment to a UK ban from the Queen's speech.

The apparent softening of the Scottish Executive line caused some
discomfort for Mr McLeish yesterday at first minister's questions, when
John Swinney, SNP opposition leader, tackled him on the subject.
Nationalists accused Labour of a U-turn and caving in to Westminster.

Meanwhile, seven members of an alliance of Scottish cancer and tobacco
prevention charities, in a letter in The Herald today, say they are
appalled that the tobacco advertising and promotion bill has not been
included in the Queen's speech and that a ban may not be introduced until
2003 at the earliest.

They state: "If Westminster fails to act swiftly to bring back the bill,
the executive has a responsibility to consider introducing measures on
tobacco advertising to protect public health.

Mr Swinney yesterday recalled a health debate in January, when Malcolm
Chisholm, deputy health minister, talked about the possibility of a bill
being "theoretically" missing from the Queen's speech and saying that in
these circumstances "if it did not go through we would have to review the
situation".

Mr Chisholm said: "Speaking for the Labour Party, I would say there is
little doubt, given the commitment that has been made, that the issue will
be in the Queen's speech after the general election."

Banning tobacco advertising is within the powers of the Scottish
Parliament but ministers have now decided not to use them, preferring to
leave the matter to Westminster. Mr Swinney pointed out that 13,000 people
die in Scotland every year from smoking-related illnesses.

The executive's decision means the bill is added to a growing list the
Scottish Parliament has decided simply to leave to Westminster although
they are devolved responsibilities.

When Mr McLeish was invited by Mr Swinney to introduce legislation for an
advertising ban in Scotland now, he replied that this was an issue which
united the chamber.

However, he went on to argue that as the subject was not now in the
Queen's speech there was little point in Scotland moving forward alone -
"unless and until we have discussed this with our UK colleagues".

Mr McLeish said: "To have this tobacco advertising ban in place in
Scotland would create a whole range of practical, common-sense issues
which in the first instance should be discussed between respective
ministers."

Mr Swinney quoted Mr Chisholm's remarks and asked: "Will the first
minister review the situation as he has promised the people of Scotland he
will do?"

The first minister said he wanted more discussion and argued that
advertising did not respect national boundaries. He accused the SNP of
playing politics with the issue but Mr Swinney quoted the BMA in Scotland,
which has also demanded legislation.

Mr McLeish confirmed Labour still had a complete commitment to banning
advertising.

Later, the first minister's spokesman said banning advertising in Scotland
was easy for the SNP to talk about but was not practical. It would be
impractical to try to stop it at the border, he said, and the same applied
to magazines and newspapers which sold in England and Scotland. Asked when
the review had taken place, the spokesman said Scottish and UK ministers
had discussed the issue.

An SNP spokesman said later: "We could easily ban tobacco advertising if
the will was there. We agree there is not much we can do about advertising
on, for example, grand prix cars in Monaco but there is nothing to stop us
banning tobacco advertising emanating from Scotland."