Welsh call time on smoking

England looks set to become the only part of the UK to allow smoking in enclosed public places after the Welsh Assembly last week announced its support for a ban.

Welsh health minister Brian Gibbons said he fully endorsed an assembly committee's call for prohibition.

He said: "In coming to this conclusion I have taken particular note of the need to ensure that all workers are protected from second-hand smoke, including workers in the hospitality sector, many of whom have a particularly heavy risk of exposure."

Designated bedrooms or suites in hotels and guesthouses will be exempt from the ban, but lighting up in pubs and bars will be consigned to history.

Westminster had signalled its intent to grant Wales the power to introduce a ban in its consultation document for the Health Improvement and Protection Bill, published last month. The bill will receive its first reading in the autumn, although it's likely to take some time before it receives royal assent and becomes law.

Wales could have a total ban in place within three years.