Tories back industry appeal against cigarette display law

The Conservatives today threw their weight behind the tobacco industry's campaign to overturn a move to force shops to sell cigarettes under the counter.

Lambert & Butler and Embassy cigarettes giant Imperial Tobacco and export giant British American Tobacco today launched a legal attack against the Government in a bid to halt the proposed ban on shops displaying cigarettes.

Conservative shadow health minister Mike Penning told the National Federation of Retail Newsagents: "I am not a lawyer but I have always been concerned whether the Government's legislation on this is legal. My party, if elected, would bring the Government's proposals back before Parliament, but with a crucial difference — we would give a free vote for Conservatives.

"Labour pushed the ban through by imposing the strongest possible obligation on its MPs to vote in favour of the plans."

Part of the Health Act 2009 made it illegal for shops, from October 2011, to show cigarettes being sold, in an attempt to prevent children being swayed by their presence into buying them.

Imps chief executive Gareth Davis is joining BAT in seeking a judicial review of the proposals, saying: "There is no credible evidence to support the idea that children start smoking or that adult smokers continue to smoke as a result of the display of tobacco products."