A new law which would have banned the use of e-cigarettes in some public places has been voted down by Assembly Members after a row between Labour and Plaid Cymru politicians.
If passed, the Public Health (Wales) Bill would have seen e-cigarettes banned from schools, public transport and from places where food is sold.
The Bill had been expected to pass with the support of some Plaid AMs, but the party decided to vote against it at the last minute after Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews described an earlier deal between Plaid and Labour as a “cheap date”.
The failure to get a key piece of legislation passed on the final day of the National Assembly of Wales before the election will be seen as an embarrassment for Labour.
A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: “On the very last day of the assembly, Leighton Andrews has shown a disrespect for parties and individual AMs seeking to create a consensus across political divides. He chose to belittle cooperation and put his own government’s legislation in jeopardy.”
Health Minister Mark Drakeford said he was “deeply disappointed.
He said: “It puts to waste five years of careful preparation and constructive work with a very wide range of stakeholders and supporters.
“There will be widespread anger that opposition parties, who had exerted a real influence on the Bill, failed to support it into law and abandoned all the important protections for the public it would have put in place, preventing a range of public health harms. They chose not to do so and they must answer for their conduct.”
The Public Health Bill also contained proposals to licence tattooists, piercers, acupuncturists and those carrying out electrolysis and rules governing the provision of public toilets.
Thank goodness common sense prevailed and a further attempt by this Assembly to meddle in each and every aspect of our lives has failed. By the next time Labour comes out with some more intrusive and unecessary legislation there will be UKIP AMs in the chamber to stop them. A rare, from me, congratulation to Plaid for once acting like an opposition party.
I agree with most of your comments but the one Wales don`t need is UKIP.
Lets hear no more from Mr Whittle about health of children due to smoking and the reduction of it by parents, his party failed to support moves to reduce smoking and the deadly effects of it. and they did so because they took offence at a remark made by a Labour member of the Assembly, the term, Pram, Toys out and throw, come to mind, they really do need to get some backbone if the ever aspire to lead this Country, it is no wonder they are a falling apart party.
gutter politics yet again
This was obvious nonsense from Labour
So your party did not and does not support the bill then?
Not what your childish colleagues in the Assembly have been saying on Radio and TV in interviews on their position yesterday, and after having second thoughts and after trying to pick up a few of the toys they have thrown out of thier pram, and THESE PEOPLE , want us to elect them to power in our wonderful Country, Wales, that will never happen, whilst they play games with important policy issues, and after this display of inane playground political shame it is even more unlikely that the people of Wales will think The Welsh Nationalists are anything other than a pathetic political joke.
These moves yesterday however were not the stuff of Leanne Wood, but it must be the case she is losing some control over her brood, for The Welsh Nationalist to regain any credability in the eyes of the Welsh Public, Leanne needs to get a firmer grip, and for what it is worth and regardless of whatever I have said previously on this issue, I dont think Lindsay Whittle was complicit in the failure to support this health bill, he is much better politician than that and to engage in playground antics.
Typical Labour, they fail so blame everyone elso except themselves.
Andrews is a Joke
You say Labour “Blame everyone else”, NOT CORRECT, they blame The Welsh Nationalist, or dont you understand that?.They Blame the very people who worked hard on the bill to bring it to the Assembly Chamber, before some inane, childish cretin amongst the Welsh Nationalist Assembly Group in the Assembly decided to throw the toys out of pram, force the very important ( To all Welsh Citizens) Health bill to be abandond, the cause for this position, is The Tories, The Welsh Nationists, and The Lib Dems joining together to ensure a failure to support it, effectively demonstrating they are againt it? Yes?.
Welsh Nationists? a disgrace to the grown up politics of Welsh Government, and THEY want us to vote for them?
no chance.
It’s the fault of Labour who are turning into a party of losers
With the complete agreement and the support of The Welsh Nationalists in the Welsh Assembly, who`s members made many meaningful contributions to the process of the Health Bill, the bill was due to be brought before the Assembly, however, playground politics ruled The Welsh Nationalists group, and they decided they did`nt like the way a Labour member looked at them, some of them started weeping and wailing, and threw thier toys out of the pram, and the rest followed. A disgraceful example of how The Welsh Nationalists would exercise rule if they ever won power, but then again, that will never happen so long as they act in this way, the Welsh Public do not vote for Children to exercise rule over Wales and never will.
I agree, labour are treating the people of Wales like fools:
WALES deserves better
You clearly do not understand that some Welsh Nationist Assembly Members appeared on Television saying that THEY had scuppered the HEALTH BILL. Keep up for goodness sake, particularly if you want to keep the very little credibility The Welsh Nationalist appear to retain in time for their losses in the Forthecoming Assembly Elections. At least there will then be time for them to reflect on thier abject inconsiderate and infantile approach to Welsh National Politics. How on earth can ANYONE currently take them seriously?????They need to change their appraoch to communities in Wales and respond accordingly particulary if they want to be considered a party with credability.