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T.8289 CONFIDENTIAL Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris A.J.W. and A.St.A. met Sir Christopher on 21st November to discuss the proposals for a Tobacco Consumers' Association set out in his letter of 18th October, (T 8173), in the context of the industry's present policy of adopting a more robust public stance. Sir Christopher explained that he had retired from the R.A.F. in 1974 and had taken on the Chairmanship of the Cheshire Foundation. The work here had built up to nearly full-time occupation but that with the imminent impLementation of a new management plan he expected his work load to revert to being part-time. 3. He had been moved to write his letter to Mr. Cameron from his observations of the increasing interference by Government and other do-gooding bodies in many aspects of peoples' private affairs. In particular, as a confirmed smoker, he had been struck by the treatment handed'out to smokers and at the apparent lack of co-ordinated reaction by the industry or its customers and he felt that the time could now be ripe for a consumers'• organisation ,for which he would be prepared to offer his services. 4. Sir Christopher made no bones about wishing for some paid employment to supplement his service pension, his position with the Cheshire Foundation being unsalaried. 5. A.J.W. explained that the Industry had been giving thought to the possible formation of a consumers" body for some time and that Sir Christopher's ideas were to a considerable extent in line with this thinking, at least as far as it had gone. The coincidental approach from Mr. Geoffrey Evans about which Sir Christopher had heard was also discussed'and the point ~ made that the two were not necessarily mutually exclusive. {~ N 6. A.J.W. outlined the likely course of events and possible time-scale of ~ the industry's re-formulation of its public relations policies: agreement ~' of a revised strategy, appointment of public relations agents and the implementation of the new strategy. It would therefore probably be April N of next year before the industry would be ready to go into action in the Iconsumers' union" field.

© 7. A.J.W. explained that, should such an organisation be formed, T.A.C. had already identified certain aspects that they thought would need to be incorporated: The need for the Association to be able to reach particularly to social classes C2, D and E and the result this demand might have on the choice of the "front man". A Walter Walker organisation would be counter productive: The need for the body to be independent of T.A.C. yet relying on T.A.C. for guidance, factual information and, at least in the initial stages, financial support. - The desirability of having a regionalised structure. 8. In conclusion Sir James Wilson undertook to keep Sir Christopher informed of developments in T.A.C.'s policies as they related to this proposal. A.St.A. 27.11.78 /