You can tell when the passage of a bill through Parliament is a foregone conclusion because the print and broadcast media invariably lose interest.

I’ve seen it happen many times and although the Tobacco and Vapes Bill entered the report stage in the House of Lords on Tuesday, the flagship part of the Bill – the generational tobacco sales ban – is effectively done and dusted and the only national newspaper that bothered to report it was the Independent.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill returns to the House of Lords today for the report stage.

Three sessions have been scheduled – today and two days next week – following which the bill will go back to the House of Commons for final approval followed by royal assent.

Back from St Andrews.

According to the latest census (2022) the town has a permanent resident population of 17,732, to which you can add over 10,000 students. Of the latter, 42 per cent are international students, with one in five of all students at St Andrews reported to be from America.

I’m in St Andrews for a few days, although I almost didn’t make it.

My wife and I were due to stay in Harrogate on Sunday but that leg of the journey had to be abandoned because on Sunday morning I found myself in A&E after a very uncomfortable night.

On this day 20 years ago MPs voted overwhelmingly to ban smoking in all enclosed public places in England.

February 14, 2006, was a Tuesday but although I must have been interviewed at least 20 times, the only two that I remember took place at the King’s Head theatre pub in Islington.

The Government has announced a new consultation that will invite submissions on a range of issues related to smoking and vaping.

These include extending the smoking ban to children’s play areas and outside schools. Proposals also include a ban on vaping in cars carrying children, but the ultimate goal is to ban vaping in every ‘public’ place where smoking is already prohibited, notably pubs, cafes and restaurants.

Having been ghosted by Matt Chorley’s producers on Five Live, what happened next was no more than I expected.

Promoted as a discussion about the smoking ban 20 years on, the choice of guests was hilariously one-sided, despite an assurance by the producer that “We're keen to reflect all opinions in the discussion”.

To no-one’s surprise, least of all mine, I won’t be on Five Live with Matt Chorley this afternoon discussing ‘20 years of the smoking ban’.

I’m disappointed because I’ve got a lot to say. Sadly, despite the producer insisting that they are ‘keen to reflect all opinions’, I appear to have been ghosted!