Gov't: No smoke ban date until Autumn
Health minister Caroline Flint has told the House of Commons the Government will not issue a start date for the English smoke ban until the Autumn at the earliest.
The news means there is unlikely to be more than nine months for the trade to prepare between the date being agreed and the ban being implemented.
Flint said: "I will not commit to any particular date at this stage, but we are having discussions with stakeholders about the countdown to the introduction of the legislation, and I hope to report back on the exact date in the autumn.
"We are working on that at the moment.
"As I have said previously, we felt that a date in the warmer weather might be more conducive to a ready compliance with the legislation, as and when it comes into effect."
British Beer and Pub Association chief executive Rob Hayward said he felt the Government was always going to wait to see what came out of the three month consultation on the regulations - which is due to end in October.
"This is what we expected," he said.
But we will still be pressing for the date to be agreed at the earliest opportunity because it is in the interest of the trade and local government."
To comment on this or any other story email us by clicking this link
Your CommentsJerry Lonsdale via email 25/07/2006"Okay so the government will not make it's mind up when the smoking ban takes effect, it's a case of talk to the organ grinder and not the monkey."
Robert Feal-Martinez via email 25/07/2006"Here we go again, this Government is perverse in the extreme. I wouldn't mind betting ASH already know after all according to their article in the Guardian, they've conned everyone, from the Pubco's, the media, the Government, the trade bodies and poor old John Grogan MP the trades man in Westminster, into enacting exactly what they wanted. The great and good of the trade should feel proud that with all their money, all their so called brilliance, they've let a self appointed health charity STUFF the industry yet again."
