Mahjong parlours, karaoke bars and saunas would not be granted exemptions because workers at those places should have equal rights to protection from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke, she told legislators on the health panel yesterday.

'We have heard calls for a two or three-year grace period, but since March we have been saying that we will table a bill and there will be about one year's time for discussion, so people should be prepared,' Ms Ho said. 'We can consider that the grace period has already begun.'

Only hotels will be exempted and permitted to have designated smoking floors. Ms Ho said that as people were allowed to smoke in their homes, it was also acceptable in hotel rooms.

Legislator Li Fung-ying said the amendment might place a burden on people working in restaurants and clubs because they would have to deal with customers who flouted the law.

Ms Ho said restaurants with more than 200 seats already had to provide non-smoking sections so should be used to such arrangements. Manpower at the Tobacco Control Office would be doubled to about 60 once the law was in place and enforcement would be an interdepartmental affair.

Catering industry lawmaker Tommy Cheung Yu-yan said the exemptions should be wider and apply to private clubs such as cigar lounges and other 'members only' venues.

Ms Ho said private clubs also had staff whose health was at risk from secondhand smoking.

But Mr Cheung argued: 'If you want to ban smoking in all workplaces, even the home is a workplace if a domestic helper works there. If you want a ban in all workplaces, nobody should be allowed to smoke anywhere.'

Democrat Yeung Sum called for anti-smoking education targeted at the young, more of whom were taking up the habit.

Meanwhile, the government put forward its arguments for an extra $200 million for the Samaritan Fund, which provides poor patients with expensive treatment and medicine not provided in public hospitals.