Examination of Witnesses (Questions 498-499)
MR SHAUN
WOODWARD MP, MS
PAT OSBORNE
AND MR
JIM GIBSON
24 NOVEMBER 2005
Q498 Chairman: Good morning,
Minister. Could I first of all apologise for us being a few minutes
late. We are tending to have quite long sessions on this particular
inquiry with sometimes three, four or even five witnesses sat
at the table, which tends to take us on a little bit. Could I
for the sake of the record ask you to introduce yourselves and
the people who have come along with you this morning?
Mr Woodward: Thank
you very much indeed for that welcome. Yes, I would like to introduce
my colleagues. On my immediate right is Pat Osborne, who is the
Head of the Investing for Health Branch in Northern Ireland, and
to Pat's right is Jim Gibson, who is the Deputy Principal of the
Investing for Health Branch, and we also have our colleague Deirdre
Kenney, who is Director of Health Development with us as well.
Q499 Chairman: Thank you.
Could you explain why the decision was taken to implement a comprehensive
ban in Northern Ireland?
Mr Woodward: Yes, we had had a
great deal of consultation over the last 12 months in Northern
Ireland, concluding with a major exercise between December 2004
and March of this year which produced over 70,000 responses, broken
down into three categories. The first category was for no change;
the second category was for something of an in-between position
between no change and a comprehensive ban; and the third was for
a comprehensive ban. Very strikingly, no change had just over
half of 1% supporting it in those 70,000 responses; the compromise
had the support of around 8%; and the wholesale comprehensive
controls on where people smoke attracted the support of just on
92% of those who returned their replies to that. I should stress,
Chairman, that I think it is prudent to recognise that there would
have been something of a campaign behind that level of response.
What is interesting, though, has been that since we announced
our intention to introduce controls on where people smoke as a
comprehensive set of controls, the response by the public in Northern
Ireland would suggest that whilst it may not be 91 or 92%, it
is probably of the order of about 80% of the public who absolutely
support controls on where people smoke.
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