North Ayrshire MP Katy Clark has called on the Scottish Government to legislate to ban smoking in cars with children in.

The local MP spoke after voting in favour of giving Ministers the power to outlaw smoking in vehicles carrying children in England and Wales.

MPs from across the political spectrum voted in favour of the move by 376 votes to 107. It is believed that the Government south of the border intends to initiate a ban sometime before May 2015.

Ms Clark said “I am pleased that Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to ban smoking in cars carrying in children in England & Wales. Research suggests that around 200,000 children are exposed to smoking in cars on an almost daily basis in the UK and that a single cigarette in a car can create concentrations of smoke eleven times greater than in a smoky pub. Adults, of course, are able to make an informed choice on whether or not to take such a risk. Children are not able to make such a choice however when an adult chooses to smoke in a car which they travel in.” “According to Cancer Research UK more than a third of cancer deaths in Scotland are caused by smoking and the cost of smoking to the people of Scotland is well over £1 billion a year. Now that Westminster has taken a lead on this measure essential to the health of our children I very much Holyrood will follow suit at the earliest opportunity.”