David Norris (Independent)

I would like to ask the Leader if he has any further news about the case of a Nigerian who is being deported. I thank my colleagues from all sides of the House who wrote to the Minister about the case, which I have raised previously. Last week, many of us met in the corridors a pair of engaging gentlemen who are lobbyists for the tobacco industry. They disingenuously expressed concerns about the health of the nation and about tax receipts etc. I have since been briefed by the Irish Heart Foundation, which has pointed out that the lobbyists' concerns are hypocritical. History clearly shows us that the global tobacco industry has been deeply implicated in the smuggling about which the lobbyists were complaining. In 1998, for example, a British American Tobacco tax executive was convicted of accepting bribes from a smuggling syndicate in Hong Kong. In 2004 Philip Morris had to pay $1.25 billion over 12 years so the European Commission would drop smuggling charges. In 2008 Canada's two largest tobacco companies, Imperial Tobacco and Rothmans, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting smuggling. The reason they are squawking now is that the cigarettes are not theirs but are counterfeit and they are getting nothing out of it. They are approaching us in order to put the squeeze on the Government not to do anything about raising tax revenue on tobacco in the forthcoming budget, which I sincerely hope the Government will do. The real problem is the fines are too low and not enough people go to jail.

Last week in this House the question of executions in America was raised. The man in that case was brain damaged as was shown by medical examination. He had various psychiatric disorders. Mr. Justice Richard Johnson, who is retiring as a very distinguished judge, has suggested we should re-examine the death penalty because it might have a deterrent effect. It has not in America. Some 80% of executions in America are in the south. The overwhelming majority of murders take place in the south. It obviously does not deter. In order to do this, we would need to disentangle ourselves from the European Union, the Council of Europe, and various treaties. We would need to hold a constitutional referendum, which would be extremely complex and difficult. It would seriously undermine our efforts diplomatically and internationally to intervene in places like China and Iran. The Chinese are murdering people judicially in Tibet and we have all raised questions of people in Iran being executed whether they are women, Kurdish or gay people. I strongly oppose this and I hope other Members will also.