MP votes against car smoking ban

Last week, MPs voted by a majority of 269 for a ban on smoking in cars in England and Wales when children are passengers.
The move will give health secretary Jeremy Hunt the power to bring in a ban in England and for Welsh Government ministers to make their own decision.
Mr Benyon was one of 107 MPs who voted against the ban.
However, he was keen to point out that although he voted against this ban, he had voted in favour of banning smoking in public places and for blank packaging of cigarette packets in shops.
On the reason for his vote, he said that he thought the law would be unenforceable.
He said: “I suppose I agreed with Nick Clegg – I didn’t think that it was a workable legislation.
“I don’t believe in passing laws that cannot be enforced and for making laws that deal with what I believe should be parental responsibility.
“I just thought that smoking in cars was unworkable and that we should be encouraging parental responsibility rather than using the laws.
“It would be next to impossible to enforce.”
North Hampshire MP Sir George Young voted in favour of the ban.
He said: “This was a free vote.
“I listened to the arguments and voted for the proposition.
“I voted to ban smoking in public places where there were similar arguments about desirability, enforceability and telling people what to do.
“I believe subsequent events have shown that decision to have been the right one and hardly anyone wants it reversed. I believe the same will be the case about smoking in cars with children in them.”
A statement by Public Health England said that while the proposal continued forward it would continue to ensure that parents fully understood the dangers of second-hand smoke and encourage them to stop smoking in the home and the car if a child was present.
Bans on smoking in cars carrying children already exist in Australia, Canada, South Africa and the US.