Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the 2016 Institute of Economic Affairs Nanny State Index suggesting that the UK is the third worst country in terms of regulation of lifestyle choices, they will take action to reduce the influence of government on the private lives and lifestyles of the population.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Government seeks to develop public health policies proportionate to the risks and or harms to health, supporting economic development.

For example, smoking is the biggest preventable cause of ill health and death in England and a significant cause of health inequalities in the United Kingdom. All smoking is addictive and harmful to health. Around half of all regular smokers are eventually killed by a smoking-related illness, accounting for almost 80,000 deaths in England each year. There are significant costs to society in terms of premature illness and death and to the economic prosperity of individuals and communities.