Tessa Jowell

"There has been no back-sliding" Dur: 28"

Government Denies Going Soft on Tobacco Sponsorship

The Public Health Minister, Tessa Jowell, was obliged to respond to claims that fierce lobbying by sporting bodies and cigarette companies had led to a reappraisal of the scale of a ban.

"There has been no change of heart," she said on BBC Radio's The World at One programme

But the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association said there had been - and urged the Government to have a complete rethink.

Reports had suggested that the Sports Minister, Tony Banks, had been instrumental in winning some breathing space for sports heavily dependent on tobacco firms' sponsorship.

There were also claims - denied by the Department of Health - that Mr Banks was at odds with Ms Jowell and the Health Secretary, Frank Dobson, with health ministers arguing for an uncompromising approach.

Tony Banks: at odds or onside? - On holiday...

But Ms Jowell said she had held talks with Mr Banks just before Parliament's summer recess.

"We are absolutely at one on the approach that needs to be taken," she said.

"We were elected on a manifesto commitment to ban tobacco advertising and we want to do that because advertising is instrumental in (a) getting children to take up smoking and (b) encouraging adults to smoke."

The Minister was asked if all existing contracts between sports and tobacco manufacturers would be allowed to run their course.

She referred to Mr Dobson's suggestion when he first announced plans to curb tobacco companies' sponsorship that sport would need "a period of grace" before the ban came down.

"What we are determined to do is to ensure that sport does not suffer as a result of the imposition of this ban," Ms Jowell said.

Ministers were currently negotiating with sporting interests future sources of sponsorship and the status of existing agreements. An announcement would not be made till the Government's White Paper on the subject was published in the autumn.

The executive director of the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association, John Carlisle - a former Tory MP - praised Mr Banks for taking a more "open door policy" over the sponsorship issue than Health Ministers.

John Carlisle: "Tony Banks has been much more friendly" Dur: 32"

"He has been willing to talk to the sports bodies and, indeed, he is willing to talk to us as tobacco manufacturers and that is the better route, whereas Mr Dobson and Ms Jowell tend to have taken an antagonistic attitude, demonising the industry, forbidden us from attending the big summit (on tobacco) they had on July 14 and almost trying to punish us, and that, of course, we resent."

Mr Carlisle said he believed there had been a change of heart since Mr Dobson made his first announcement.

"I think they should now look again at the whole basis of sports sponsorship," he said.

"After all it's a very small part of total sports sponsorship - only between £8m and £10m - and it affects some sports like darts, snooker, ice hockey and angling very, very much.

"They heavily rely on the money that comes from tobacco companies and no-one ever suggests and should ever suggest that people actually take up smoking because of what they see on sporting boards throughout the country."

Mr Banks is on holiday and was not available for comment.

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