Herefordshire pubs could see some changes coming to their beer gardens and outdoor areas, after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he's not ruled out a smoking ban.

 

What is the Government’s policy on smoking and vaping?

Asked about smoking on Thursday, Sir Keir told reporters he would “take decisions in this space”, and warned that smoking kills more than 80,000 each year.

“That’s a preventable death,” the Prime Minister said. “It’s a huge burden on the NHS and, of course, it’s a burden on the taxpayer.” He added: “More details will be revealed.”

Labour’s election-winning 2024 manifesto pledged preventative public health measures, and policy makers said their quest for “longer, healthier lives… starts with smoking”.

The manifesto read: “Labour will ensure the next generation can never legally buy cigarettes and ensure all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care. Labour will ban vapes from being branded and advertised to appeal to children to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.”

Setting out their legislative agenda in the King’s Speech in July, ministers promised to table a Tobacco and Vapes Bill to progressively increase the age at which people can buy cigarettes, similar to a Bill of the same name tabled by the previous Conservative administration earlier this year – to ban shopkeepers from selling cigarettes to anybody born in 2009 or later.

What about plans for a ban on cigarettes in pub gardens?

The Government has not announced an extension of the indoor smoking ban into outdoor spaces but The Sun reported leaked “secret Whitehall papers” featured this plan.

Smokers face a ban on using cigarettes in pub gardens, restaurant terraces, near sports stadiums, pavements near universities and hospitals, and shisha bars, according to the newspaper.

Broadcasters had the opportunity to quiz the Prime Minister about the claims in Paris, the French capital hosting the Paralympics, and he did not rule them out.

Where is smoking already banned?

Authorities in England, Northern Ireland and Wales banned indoor smoking in 2007, with Scottish authorities bringing in a ban the previous year.

The laws apply to enclosed workplaces, public buildings and public transport, which includes pubs. Ministers gained powers to ban smoking in private cars in 2014, particularly where a person under the age of 18 is in the vehicle.

Drivers or passengers who smoke in cars with anyone under 18 inside could be fined £50 in England and Wales, with similar laws in Northern Ireland and Scotland.