MPs from the three main political parties have joined forces and will co-host a reception at the House of Commons to support an amendment to the smoking ban.

Forest has criticised the extension of New York City’s smoking ban to the city’s parks, beaches and pedestrian plazas.

Peter Hitchens, Toby Young, Oscar-winning screenwriter Sir Ronald Harwood and David Davis MP are just four of the speakers taking part in The Free Society’s Voices of Freedom series of debates in London in June.

The Government should intervene to save Ireland’s pubs, says Forest Eireann, the smoker’s lobby group. The call comes on the back of new data showing a dramatic decline in employment in the pub trade.

Smokers’ lobby group Forest has called for amendments to the smoking ban in Scotland ahead of the fifth anniversary of its introduction. The group wants pubs and clubs to have the option of separate, well-ventilated smoking rooms.

Simon Clark, director of Forest, has criticised the Chancellor’s decision to increase tobacco duty by two per cent above inflation, arguing that it penalises "law-abiding consumers".

Retailers will be given additional time to prepare. The regulations will now begin on 6 April 2012 for large stores and 6 April 2015 for all other shops.