IT is now six months since Ireland banned smoking in public places and still there are no plans from the Government to follow suit in Britain. Latest reports of Ministers backing away from proposals to allow local authorities to ban smoking in all workplaces including bars and pubs are very worrying.

While the Government wastes time in deciding what measures to take, workers lives are being claimed by passive smoking.

The BMA estimates that at least 1,000 people a year are killed by second-hand smoke - do we have to wait another six months while more lives are taken?

Second-hand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer by 20 to 30 per cent and lung cancer is the UK's number one cancer killer. The facts speak for themselves.

Macmillan Cancer Relief's primary concern is to care for people with cancer.

We know that the numbers of people with cancer is increasing and we hope that the Government will listen to our concerns by introducing legislation to ban smoking in public places and help to reduce these increasing numbers.

PETER CARDY, Chief Executive, Macmillan Cancer Relief, Albert Embankment, London.