To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what advice is given to employers about provision of smoke free working and rest areas for employees. [99981]

All employers have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees, and this duty includes any risks arising from passive smoking.More specifically, the Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require employers to protect non-smokers from discomfort caused by tobacco smoke in rest rooms and rest areas. This means that employers must either provide separate rest rooms/areas for smokers and non smokers or prohibit smoking in rest rooms/areas.Free guidance published by HSE provides advice to employers on introducing effective smoking policies in the workplace. The guidance advises that employers must ensure that there are arrangements to protect nonsmokers from discomfort caused by tobacco smoke in rest rooms or rest areas.The guidance recommends that smoking policies in the workplace should give priority to the needs of nonsmokers who do not wish to breathe tobacco smoke.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what policy his Department has adopted on smoking in the workplace. [100928]

In all our businesses, smoking is banned within all public areas and also within open plan working areas.Arrangements are made locally on a site by site basis in consultation with staff the procedures for those who smoke. Smoking rooms are provided where space allows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the introduction of an Approved Code of Practice for smoking in the workplace. [100947]

The Government are currently looking at possible options to reduce the exposure of people to tobacco smoke.We will announce our conclusions in due course about how best we will achieve further progress in this area.