Opening the debate, Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, said: “I totally understand the concerns of fellow Conservatives.
“We are not in the habit of banning things, we do not like that, and so we will only bring these powers in when we are convinced… that there is no liberty in addiction.
“Nicotine robs people of their freedom to choose. The vast majority of smokers start when they are young, and three-quarters say that if they could turn back the clock they would not have started.
“There is no safe level of smoking and no safe tobacco product. In fact, it is the only product that, if it is consumed as the manufacturer intends, will kill two-thirds of its long-term users.
“That is why, through this Bill, we are creating a smoke-free generation that will guarantee that no one who is turning 15 or younger this year will ever be legally sold tobacco, saving them from the misery of repeated attempts to give up, making our economy more productive and building an NHS that delivers faster, simpler and fairer care.
“I would argue it is our responsibility, indeed our duty, to protect the next generation, and this is what this Bill will do.”
On Twitter, Mr Jenrick wrote:
