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We are unable to provide figures for the United Kingdom.
The latest information available on the prevalence of smoking in Great Britain and England among adults aged 16 and over can be found in the General Household Survey 2006: Smoking and Drinking Among Adults, 2006. The prevalence of smoking in 2006 and 2001 in Great Britain and England can be found in table 1.10 on page 24. This publication has been placed in the Library.
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the impact of the ban in England on smoking in enclosed public places on (a) the prevalence of smoking amongst, and (b) the health of (1) pregnant women, and (2) the population as a whole; and what assessment they have made of the experience of other countries that have introduced similar bans. [HL5551]
Lord Darzi of Denham: Official data on prevalence and impact on the health of pregnant women and the whole population since the implementation of the smoke-free law in England is still to be published. There is every reason to believe that the impact on public health and positive experience of other countries which have introduced smoke-free laws will be replicated in this country.
The report Smokefree England:One Year On was published on 1 July 2008, summarising compliance with the legislation and public attitudes to the ban. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
In addition, in a report published in July, Professor Robert West (Cancer Research UK's director of tobacco studies based at University College London), presented findings from the “Smokers' Toolkit Study” which show that the smoke-free law in England has helped more smokers to quit than ever before and will help prevent an estimated 40,000 deaths over the next 10 years.
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Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much they have spent in England on smoking cessation programmes in each year since 1997; and how much of that was targeted specifically at pregnant women. [HL5552]
Lord Darzi of Denham: The information requested is not available in the format requested.
We are unable to provide expenditure targeted specifically at pregnant women.
The latest data available on expenditure of National Health Service stop smoking services from 2001-02 to 2007-08 can be found in the annual report: Statistics on NHS StopSmoking Services: England, April 2007 to March 2008, published 21 August 2008. The data can be found in table 4.6 on page 43. This publication has been placed in the Library.
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
What targets exist for cutting smoking in England; and what progress has been made towards achieving them.[HL5553]
Lord Darzi of Denham: In October 2007, the Government published a new public service agreement (PSA), PSA Delivery Agreement 18, “Promote better health and well-being for all”. One of the indicators aims is to reduce smoking prevalence among adults. The national target is to reduce smoking rates among adults (aged 16 and over) to 21 per cent or less by 2010, with a reduction in prevalence among routine and manual groups to 26 per cent or less.
Progress against these targets is measured against results from the general household survey (GHS). The latest figures available are from GHS 2006. For 2006 smoking prevalence amongst all adults in England is 22 per cent and prevalence among routine and manual groups 29 per cent.
A time trend of smoking prevalence amongst these groups may be found in table 1.7 on page 21 in General Household Survey: Smoking and Drinking Among Adults2006, which was published in January 2008. This publication has been placed in the Library.
The White Paper, Smoking Kills, was published in December 1998. To measure the success of policies outlined within the White Paper a smoking prevalence target was set for children to reduce smoking among 11 to 15 year-olds from 13 per cent (1996) to 11 per cent by 2005 and 9 per cent or less by 2010.
Progress against these targets is measured against results from the survey Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England. The latest figures available are from 2007 where 6 per cent of children aged 11 to 15 smoked regularly.
A time trend of smoking prevalence amongst this group may be found in table 3.3 on page 118 in Drug Use, Smoking and Drinking Among Young People in England in 2007, which was published in July 2008. This publication has been placed in the Library.
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To measure the success of policies outlined within the White Paper a smoking prevalence target was set to reduce smoking among pregnant women from 23 per cent (1995) to 18 per cent by 2005 and 15 per cent by 2010.
Information on the percentage of mothers in England who smoked during pregnancy are available from the infant feeding survey. This survey occurs every five years and the latest year for which data are available is 2005. In 2005, the percentage of women in England who smoked during pregnancy was 17 per cent.
A time trend of smoking prevalence amongst this group maybe found in table 10.7 on page 355 in Infant Feeding Survey 2005, which was published in May 2007. This publication has already been placed in the Library.
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many calls have been received by the helpline offering specialist advice and support to pregnant women to stop smoking (0800 1699169) in each month since it was set up; and how the helpline is promoted. [HL5554]
Lord Darzi of Denham: The National Health Service pregnancy smoking helpline in its current form was set up in 2000-01. Prior to this, the helpline had been managed directly by the Health Education Authority, therefore we have provided the number of calls received by the NHS pregnancy smoking helpline since the Department of Health's records began in 2002. The information has been placed in the Library.
The NHS pregnancy smoking helpline is promoted through advertising annually in Emma's Diary, Bounty and the Sure Start magazine (pregnancy specific publications); leaflets and posters distributed through
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Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Darzi of Denham: Data on smoking prevalence among pregnant women are collected for the infant feeding survey which is published every five years. The infant feeding survey 2005, the latest data available, was published by the NHS Information Centre in 2007. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
In addition, the department has been collecting smoking-at-delivery data since 2003-04. This information is collected quarterly from all the primary care trusts in England and is published on the department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Health improvement/Tobacco/Tobaccogeneralinformation/DH_4139682.
Transport: Road Vehicle Registration
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many registrations have been blocked from disclosure under the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/2742). [HL5507]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): All vehicles held on Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's vehicle register are subject to the provisions of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002. No vehicles are blocked from disclosure under the provisions of these regulations.
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