The Health Bill – which includes provisions to ban smoking in enclosed public spaces in England – completed its third reading in the House of Lords yesterday afternoon.

It will now return to the Commons for a final hearing before being pencilled in to receive Royal Assent, after which it becomes an Act.

However, pub associations are warning that licensees will not have enough time to prepare for the ban – set for summer 2007 – unless the crucial regulations governing it are published before the Parliamentary recess at the end of this month.

“If the regulations are published in the next few weeks, members are relatively confident they will have sufficient time to put effective plans in place,” said Mark Hastings, director of communications at the British Beer & Pub Association. “If they drift into the autumn, people are less so.”

Without the regulations publicans do not know the size and shape of the shelters they can erect outdoors to accommodate smokers.

Support growing for Irish smoking ban >>

Scotland’s smoking ban pulls in the punters >>

No go for watered-down blanket ban on smoking >>

By Angela Frewin

Get your copy of Caterer and Hotelkeeper every week - click here to subscribe and save 25%.