Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP):
9. To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to implement a ban on the display of tobacco products by retailers. (S3O-13324)
The Minister for Public Health and Sport (Shona Robison): I confirm that the Scottish Government remains committed to the introduction of the display ban. Subject to the satisfactory conclusion of the on-going legal challenge, we will be working towards implementation of the display ban from April 2012 for large retailers and from April 2015 for small retailers. The change to the original implementation dates will also give retailers more time to prepare for the changes.
Stewart Stevenson: Does the minister recall that, 400 years ago, James VI wrote of people being enslaved bit by bit by tobacco? Does she share my utter contempt for a company that kills thousands of people every year and which is delaying the implementation of the ban? Does she agree that it is important that no new addicts are signed up and that young people are protected from the evils of tobacco?
Shona Robison: I agree with the member. That is why the recent legislation is focused on reducing the attractiveness and availability of tobacco products and preventing access to them by young people. That is also why increasing the penalties for breaching that legislation is so important. I remain hopeful that we can continue to build on Scotland’s journey towards becoming smoke free. We have come a long way from where we were on the acceptability of smoking in Scotland even 20 to 30 years ago, never mind hundreds of years ago, and we should all welcome that.
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About Stewart Stevenson
Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - Bell Baxter - and studied Mathematics at the University of Aberdeen, graduating with a modest degree in 1969. That's also the year Sandra & I married. Her family comes from the North East.Thirty years later I retired from Bank of Scotland as Director of Technology Innovation and was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2001 as member for Banff & Buchan having first joined the SNP in 1961.
I then represented the new constituency of Banffshire & Buchan Coast Constituency in our Parliament. I retired as an MSP on 5th May 2021
I was also previously (2007-2010), Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change and (2011-2012), Minister for Environment and Climate Change.
I hold the honorary posts of President of the Scottish Association for Public Transport
and Vice-President of Railfuture UK.I am a Fellow of The Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, a Member at The Institution of Engineering and Technology, a Professional Member of the Association for Computing Machinery, a Member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists and an Associate Member of the Highland Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Association.
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