Paisley brands cigarette package proposals as ‘ludicrous’

The consultation, which will close on July 10 will ask individuals whether they think standardised packaging will have an impact on people’s health and reduce the uptake of smoking. Ministers from all the devolved administrations will be included.

The consultation suggests for the first time what requirements for standardised packaging could consist of, including no branding, a uniform colour and a standard font and text for any writing on the pack.

Mr. Paisley said he was ready to fight to preserve the 1000 jobs at Lisnafillan.

He said: “The proposals for Plain Packaging on all cigarettes are simply ludicrous. These plans will do nothing to achieve public health objectives but will rather punish local businesses, increase smuggling and infringe fundamental legal rights.

“No reliable evidence has ever been produced that shows plain packaging will reduce the incidence and uptake of smoking, or indeed inspire smokers to quit. People do not care about the colour of the packet they buy their cigarettes in, they care what is inside.”

He argued that the biggest losers from the process would be the manufacturing companies which the government are relying on to drive the UK economy.

“Many of these depend on the tobacco sector to keep their business alive. These are not just printing companies who are going to suffer, but those in design, origination, cylinder production, engraving, embossing and creasing will all be negatively impacted.

“The plans will only exacerbate tobacco smuggling, with criminals rubbing their hands in glee that we would actually be naive enough to standardise all packaging across all brands. Criminals are already sophisticated enough to produce counterfeit branded cigarette packaging, but for us to change it to a plain white box makes their job a walk in the park.

“The effects of increased smuggling of contraband cigarettes will be colossal on our economy and on our health. Already it is estimated that the Treasury loses out on £3.1 billion a year on lost revenue with 1 in 6 cigarettes and over half of all handrolling tobacco illegal. Couple this with the fact that illicit cigarettes are more readily available to underage smokers because of the absence of age checks and taking into account the knowledge that illegal products sometimes contain 2 to 3 times the level of heavy metals found in legitimate brands - we’re not helping our public health cause, we’re deterring it,” he said.

In 2009/10 HM Revenue & Customs estimate that tobacco smuggling deprived the UK Treasury of up to £3.1 billion in revenue. Yet figures released in response to a question put forward by Paisley to the Treasury Minister, show that only 233 people were convicted for crimes related to tobacco smuggling in that year. Between 2000/1 and 2009/10 HMRC estimate that a total of up to £35.7 billion in revenue has been lost due to tobacco smuggling.

Between 2000/1 and 2009/10 HMRC estimate that a total of up to £35.7 billion in revenue has been lost due to tobacco smuggling.

In Northern Ireland alone, 170 million smuggled cigarettes are smoked every year, losing the Treasury around £42 million. 17% of all cigarettes in Northern Ireland have been illegally traded and Japan Tobacco International, the multinational organisation which has a factory in Paisley’s constituency employing around 1000 people, was amongst legitimate businesses losing out on its share of the estimated £12.5 million in business revenue lost because of this illegal trade.

JTI have annual salaries contributing £57 million to the local economy. The organisation also provides business for in excess of 200 Northern Ireland companies, with total spending of over £20 million.

Mr. paisley continued: “How will these plans make the UK look on the world scale in terms of trade & investement? They would cause serious concern as they effectively are destroying an industry’s legitimate trademark protection and branding. This is curtailing intellectual property rights and is actually in infringement of the law. I’m not saying that we allow cigarettes to advertise, but every brand has the right to be recognised. The US Chamber of Commerce have already expressed their caution towards the measures.

“And where do we stop? Alchohol has a far worse health record in terms of causing disease than cigarettes do. Will we be making all alcohol sold in plain cans and bottles? And would this really stop people from drinking it? No, if they want a drink or a cigarette they will have one. All we would be doing here is punishing our businesses, our designers, our printers, the list goes on. Job loss and revenue down all for a ridiculous and unresearched idea to reduce smoking.

“We have already implemented legislation that prohibits the exposure of cigarette branding instore. The display ban that will be fully operational from 2015 will not allow any cigarette package to be on show in any store in the UK. What could we possibly be looking to achieve by now also standardising the packaging as well, especially given the fact that pictoral health warnings have had no impact on the levels of smokers whatsoever.

“I’m not here to promote smoking, but I am here to promote local business and the growth of our unstable economy. All these measures will do is add an unbearable burden to struggling local businesses, increase smuggling and cost the Treasury a loss in revenue from both taxes and an increase in unemployment.”