Hospitality lobby blocks smoking ban

Fierce objections from the restaurant and pub trade have lead to the scrapping of plans for a blanket ban on smoking in the workplace.

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) had advised the Government to implement a legal code forcing employers to either ban smoking or take other measures to protect staff from second-hand smoke.

The HSC has now been told to redraft its proposals after members of the hospitality industry said the code would mean it would have to stop customers from smoking altogether or take costly steps to protect its staff.

Ian McKerracher, chief executive at the Restaurant Association, said there was no need for a blanket ban on smoking.

McKerracher instead urged restaurant operators to sign the Public Places Charter, which sets out principles for the good management of smoking within the hospitality sector. He said the charter differed from the measures being put forward by the HSC as it allowed operators to come up with their own appropriate policies.

Said McKerracher: "We want customers to have the choice and restaurant operators to have the choice."

He added that the code was impracticable for the hospitality industry: "What may make sense for offices may not make sense for pubs."

The ban would also adversely effect restaurants' trade, claimed McKerracher.

Anti-smoking campaigners disagree with the restaurant and pub operators' objections to the plans. Clive Bates, director at Action on Smoking and Health, said there was no need for a change in policy and that the original code was "perfectly sensible".

The HSC will now consider other options for the code, including separate rules for pubs and restaurants.