Simon Clark - Taking Liberties

After a turbulent week health minister Anna Soubry may be in need of a friendly shoulder.

Riding to the rescue is Conservative MP Bob Blackman. Writing for ConservativeHome today Blackman says:

A couple of weeks ago Anna Soubry MP received considerable media coverage, and widespread praise from medical professionals and health charities, for expressing her personal support for legislation to prohibit smoking in private vehicles in which there is a child passenger.

Not only do I share Anna’s views, but I believe that we as a party – a party for whom the protection of society’s most vulnerable is a core principle – have a duty to adopt the introduction of such legislation as official policy.

Laughably he refers to research conducted by YouGov (see Peter Kellner, YouGov ands tobacco control) which "suggests that 78 per cent of the adult public support such legislation". Priceless.

Curiously, while Blackman is identified as the MP for Harrow East, there is no mention of one rather salient fact.

Bob Blackman MP is secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health which is run by ASH and stops at nothing to smear opponents of tobacco control.

Full article: Laws to protect children from smoke in private vehicles reflect true Conservative values. You can comment.

For more information about the APPG on Smoking and Health see Pot, kettle, black. APPG accuses tobacco industry of "propaganda" on illicit trade and Exposed, the unhealthy relationship between a minister, the APPG on Smoking and Health and ASH.

Update on Friday, April 26, 2013 at 14:36 by

Simon Clark

Yesterday Forest submitted a memorandum to the Public Bill Committee that is considering the Children and Families Bill.

An amendment has been tabled that would ban smoking in cars carrying children.

Earlier this week the British Lung Foundation declared its support for the amendment. Click here to read the BLF's submission.

I'll post the summary of Forest's submission here tomorrow.