Lib-Dem peer Lord Clement-Jones has sent a shiver down the spine of the licensed trade by calling for the smoke ban to be introduced in England by March next year.
Lord Clement-Jones offered his amendment to the Health Bill this afternoon when the House of Lords began its discussions on the controversial bill.
He said he would like to see the ban introduced to coincide with National No Smoking Day on March 14 - which would give the trade less than 11 months to make the neccessary preparations.
Neil Wiliams, British Beer and Pub Association spokesman said any move to introduce the ban by then would put the trade in a very difficult position.
"We've always said the ban should be introduced in the summer months to make it easier for pubs to adapt to the change," he said.
"This is not an easy change for pubs and even next summer would be difficult indeed."
It is perfectly possible to accommodate smokers and non-smokers - who don't want to breathe second-hand smokeLord Stoddart of Swindon
However, it was not all bad news for the trade as several Lords argued for the ban to be put off until 2008 - to allow the trade time to adjust.
Lord Stoddart, Earl Howe and Lord Palmer - three of the peers who met with petition group Freedom to Choose - all called for the ban to be introduced in July 2008.
Earl Howe told the Grand Committee in the Moses Room of the House of Lords: "Pubs, hotels and clubs have a lot to do to minimise the commercial impact the bill will have on them and I do think we need to take their concerns very seriously."
Lord Stoddart went as far as to say the Health Bill had nothing to do with protecting non-smokers but was out to make pariahs of smokers.
He said: "Smokers are the new pariahs. You don't have to worry about the lives of smokers. It is perfectly possible to accommodate smokers and non-smokers - who don't want to breathe second-hand smoke - but that's not the point of this bill. It is being used as a stalking horse to abolish smoking altogether."
The amendments will not be voted on at this stage and no date has been set for the Report Stage.
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Your CommentsRobert Feal-Martinez via email 21/04/2006"Having listened to the debate in it's entirety, one thing really stood out and that was The Governments continual attempts to stifle debate. But Their Lordships were having none of it. They also put on record their disgust that the Government had tried to circumvent debate by holding the debate in Committee rather than in The Chamber. However I have to say at times I felt sorry for Lord Warner the Government Minister, if asked questions that weren't in his script he was lost, squirming and evading. All those Publicans reading this can take heart that the fight is far from over. Freedom to Choose supported by The MA will continue to provide MP's and Peers with the truth. We have already been party to a huge climb down by the British Heart Foundation, we have the DoH in our sites and will not stop the fight until 'the fat lady sings'. That song was a long way off, now it's even further off. Remember as Lord Stodartt said this is an attack on the smoker and has nothing to do with health."