Perfect couple: public health minister attends ASH AGM
Sunday, December 19, 2010 H/T Brian Bond via Dave Atherton
Public health minister Anne Milton MP recently attended ASH's annual general meeting (December 15, 2010.
Brian points out that Anne Milton is married to the director of public health for the East Surrey PCT while her Wiki profile reveals that:
"In February 2006, Milton was among a minority of Conservative MPs to oppose exceptions for private clubs from the proposed Smoking ban in England. Milton had previously announced her opposition to a partial ban, stating it was "the worst possible solution. In summer 2007 David Cameron appointed her Shadow Minister for Health".
Funnily enough I wrote recently to Milton querying her statement, reported by the Morning Advertiser last month, that "there is little, if any, evidence that would link the closure of pubs and clubs to the introduction of [the smoking bans]”.
I pointed out that:
Over the period 1990-2010 the total number of pubs has indeed shown a long-term decline from around 63,500 to 52,000.
However, a little analysis demonstrates the considerable acceleration of the trend from the end of 2006 – the last data point before the bans in England, Wales and N Ireland.
The period from 2006-10 showed an average closure rate of 2.7% a year - over four times as fast as the long-term trend of 0.6%. In other words, on average more than a thousand more pubs closed each year after the bans than before.
Given the frequent references to the impact of the smoking ban by licensed trade associations and companies this is likely to be much more than just a coincidence.
Please find attached a research paper that examines the pub closure data in more detail. This shows an almost exact correlation between the rates of decline in pub numbers in Scotland, England, Wales and even the Republic of Ireland, when viewed in comparison to the varying dates of their bans.
All of these data are publicly available. Given the commitment of the Government to a private sector-led recovery, the closure of more than a thousand businesses a year in a key part of the economy surely requires a more thorough investigation and review.
I look forward to your response and hope that the Government will review its decision not to review the smoking ban in accordance with a commitment given by the previous government.
Needless to say, I'm not holding my breath.
Reader Comments (15)
I think the Health Authorities should put THAT photograph on cigarette packets - before the 'Sun' gets hold of it (to boost circulation) - with an aprropraite caption, say:
"Annie and Debs - working for YOU !"
Another brilliant success for ASH. Given time they may yet eradicate all employment from the UK. Defund ASH.
Another Horrible Thought:
You're on a lifeboat in the middle of the North Sea. Apart from yourself, there are three other items on board: the two ladies above, and a large crate of Lucky Strikes (which, coincidentally, weigh exactly the same as said ladies). The water's getting rough, and something has to be thrown overboard if you're to remain afloat. You have a revolver - with only two bullets in the chamber. What do you do ?
(From the 'SBS Survival Handbook')
Light up a cigarette, they'll jump overboard to avoid SHS and save your bullets for more important things.
Dumb and Dumber.
Or is it Ugly and Uglier.
Or Nasty and Nastier.
No ,Liar Liar,yep, that's it !
I, first, thought it was an advert for a Hammer film! What is it about these Puritans that makes them so unattractive? Frustration, maybe?
Have our MP's lost their basic human sense? That anything said by people looking like that is to be instantly dismissed as the product of a bitter mind? Dear me.
@Anon lol
Not forgetting that ASH run the All Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health.
"PURPOSE To monitor and discuss the health and social effects of smoking; to review potential changes in existing legislation to reduce levels of smoking; to assess the latest medical techniques to assist in smoking cessation; and to act as a resource for the group’s members on all issues relating to smoking and public health.
"BENEFITS RECEIVED BY GROUP FROM SOURCES OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT
Action on Smoking and Health provides administrative support to the group, including sharing of information with members of the group, the occasional provision of briefing material at meetings, and occasional funding of receptions.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/register.pdf
Anon -
That is the CORRECT answer ! Brilliant piece of Lateral Thinking on your part, I must say...................
Well, as I said in a previous post, there would be no point the Tories doing any kind of review because it would be prejudicial.
I can see the Tories' minds are made up about which side they are on otherwise they would not have this horrendous woman in govt or Lansley - a rabid anti-smoker - as health secretary.
Expect lots more of the same kind oppression we had under NuLabour unless some of those backbench MPs who do believe in impartiality and fairness will speak up for us and halt more persecutionm.
I wonder how much Milton gets in cash from ASH - remeber how Pat Hewitt was a "taxi for hire" when she made the smoking ban possible?
I think we should know how much Milton's being paid to be on side.
Milton's 'Paradise Postponed', perhaps ?
Their pictures should be put on cigarette packets with the warning 'Quit smoking and you too can look like this'.
When I first saw that picture it reminded me of something vaguely familiar....
Was this picture taken at a previous ASH meeting? I think we should be told!
(Although at least Yvonne De Carlo looks like a real woman!)
You wrote to Anne Milton? Good luck. I wrote two years ago and am still waiting for a reply.
Now there's an image, that would put me off cigarettes.
OH MY God, they are twins.
Shock, Horror, There are two of them.
How very depressing.