SIR - So the rights of smokers to smoke freely in buildings of assembly is being truly extinguished, with few exceptions including the palace of Westminster !

But this is progress and hypocrisy in a bewildering alliance. On one hand, Government is content to rake in the cash from cigarette taxes while, on the other, it wants to widely restrict smoking.

But the ban won't make much difference in reducing rates of lung cancer among smokers. They will simply smoke outside or at home.

But it will make a difference to the millions of non smokers who have to suffer passive smoking. It is likely to save a few thousand lives a year and save the NHS perhaps small change of a few million a year. Many smokers are most indignant, claiming their human rights have been infringed. The ban, although one of the greatest public health developments in recent times, has not gone far enough. While it might seem difficult to enforce, why not ban smoking in homes with children?

Thousands of children are sentenced to hours in smoky homes, and the NHS see far too many children who suffer the results of such environments. Why should their health be compromised ?

Andrew Brown

Worcester