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Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has been discussing the new United Kingdom-wide Tobacco and Vapes Bill with Neil Gray, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care for Scotland, and will send formal correspondence prior to its introduction. As the bill covers the whole of the UK, the Department will stay in close contact with all our devolved government counterparts, throughout the passage of the bill.

Department officials have engaged frequently with officials from Public Health Scotland, and the rest of the devolved governments, to help shape and develop proposals for new legislation. Each of the devolved governments, including the Scottish Government, are in support of a new and strengthened bill, and the benefits it will provide to the health of our nations. Once the bill has been introduced to the UK Parliament, the devolved governments will seek consent motions from their respective legislatures, including the Scottish Parliament.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take legislative steps to end the marketing of all nicotine products.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

Current evidence suggests that whilst nicotine pouch use is low amongst adults, it is increasing, especially with the younger male audience. Nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches, are not currently subject to advertising restrictions.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill proposed measures to prohibit the sale of tobacco to people born on or after 1 January 2009, as well as enabling product requirements to be imposed in connection with tobacco, vapes, and other products. However, the bill did not receive Parliamentary approval prior to the prorogation on 24 May 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost saving to the NHS of the proposed generational ban on smoking from 2027 onwards.

Answered by Lord Markham

Smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom and causes around one in four UK cancer deaths. Smoking is one of the most important preventable causes of disparities in health, and a significant contributor to the gap in life expectancy.

Reduced smoking rates lead to fewer people dying from smoking-related diseases and fewer children exposed to second-hand smoke or living in smoking-induced poverty. There are four major diseases that together account for almost 60% of all ill health and early deaths attributable to smoking: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; coronary heart disease; lung cancer; and strokes. By 2075, our modelling suggests that between 48,000 and 115,000 cases of these diseases would be avoided, improving people’s lives and avoiding the pain of loss for families.

Smoking also costs society £21.8 billion a year and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. Our Impact Assessment on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill found that there would be savings of more than £2 billion, in 2019 prices, in reduced healthcare usage costs over 30 years from 2027. Health and economic gains are expected further in the future, saving the health and care system up to £18 billion and boosting the economy by up to £85 billion by 2075, cumulatively and undiscounted. Someone who avoids a smoking-related death can be expected to live eight to nine years longer as a result of this change, as set out in the command paper from October 2023.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the health benefits of the proposed generational ban on smoking.

Answered by Lord Markham

Smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom and causes around one in four UK cancer deaths. Smoking is one of the most important preventable causes of disparities in health, and a significant contributor to the gap in life expectancy.

Reduced smoking rates lead to fewer people dying from smoking-related diseases and fewer children exposed to second-hand smoke or living in smoking-induced poverty. There are four major diseases that together account for almost 60% of all ill health and early deaths attributable to smoking: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; coronary heart disease; lung cancer; and strokes. By 2075, our modelling suggests that between 48,000 and 115,000 cases of these diseases would be avoided, improving people’s lives and avoiding the pain of loss for families.

Smoking also costs society £21.8 billion a year and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. Our Impact Assessment on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill found that there would be savings of more than £2 billion, in 2019 prices, in reduced healthcare usage costs over 30 years from 2027. Health and economic gains are expected further in the future, saving the health and care system up to £18 billion and boosting the economy by up to £85 billion by 2075, cumulatively and undiscounted. Someone who avoids a smoking-related death can be expected to live eight to nine years longer as a result of this change, as set out in the command paper from October 2023.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an estimate of the number of people who start smoking tobacco as a result of using vapes.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

There is no current evidence to show a significant gateway effect from vaping into smoking, and no data to show the number of people who start smoking, as a result of vaping. Youth and adult smoking rates continue to fall and are at an all-time low, although they remain significant. Recent evidence shows that, for many adult smokers, vapes are an effective tool in supporting smoking cessation, especially when combined with expert support. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub7/full

However, youth vaping has tripled in the last three years, with one in five children having now used a vape. The health advice is clear, young people, and those who have never smoked, should not vape. We have a duty to protect our children from the potential harms associated with underage vaping, while their lungs and brains are still developing. This is why we are committed to reducing the access, appeal, and affordability of vapes and tobacco through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, to stop future generations of smokers and nicotine users.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of ending the use of vapes for smoking cessation.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

Recent evidence shows that, for many adult smokers, vapes can be an effective tool in supporting smoking cessation, especially when combined with expert support.

However, the health advice is clear: young people and those who have never smoked should not vape. We have a duty to protect our children from the potential harms associated with underage vaping, while their lungs and brains are still developing. This is why we are committed to reduce the access, appeal and affordability of vapes and tobacco through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what data they collected on other countries that have restricted smoking when drafting the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Answered by Lord Markham

Smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom and causes around one in four UK cancer deaths. It also costs society £21.8 billion a year and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. The latest estimates from Action on Smoking and Health put the cost of smoking to the NHS and social care at £3 billion a year.

As part of our impact assessment, we reviewed evidence and data from a range of countries. This included modelling from New Zealand, Singapore, and the Solomon Islands on the estimated impact of a smokefree generation policy on smoking prevalence, smoking attributable mortality, and other health impacts. We also considered evidence and data from countries that have already implemented an increase in the age of sale for tobacco to a particular age. For example, we analysed data and evidence from the United States on the impact that raising the age of sale from 18 to 21 years old had on smoking prevalence.

This was in addition to considering evidence and data from the UK on the impact that previous increases in the age of sale for tobacco have had on smoking prevalence. A copy of our Tobacco and Vapes Bill - impact assessment is attached.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to ban the advertising of nicotine products in (a) Formula One and (b) other sports; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of nicotine advertising on public health.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

Vaping can play a role in helping adult smokers to quit, but the Government is concerned about the worrying rise in vaping among children, with youth vaping tripling in the last three years and one in five children having now used a vape. This is extremely worrying given the unknown long-term health impacts and the addictive nature of the nicotine contained in vapes.

Collectively, the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, the Communications Act 2003, the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising, and the Broadcast Code outline restrictions on the marketing and promotion of vapes. This includes a ban on advertising on television, radio, and through information society services, such as internet advertising or commercial email.

It is still concerning, however, that vapes are still being marketed and advertised to children, including in sports settings. As the Government stated during the Commons Committee Stage of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we have committed to explore the steps we can take to further restrict vape advertising and sponsorship, and we will revert with further updates on proposals for the Report Stage.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will publish guidance on the safe use of nicotine pouches.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

While there is currently limited research and evidence into the harms and use of nicotine pouches, they are never recommended for children. Nicotine, the active ingredient in pouches, is a highly addictive drug, and we have a duty to protect children and young people from potential harms. Advice on the harms of nicotine can be found on the Talk to Frank website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.talktofrank.com/drug/nicotine

That is why, through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we are proposing to introduce age of sale restrictions of 18 years old for nicotine pouches, ban free samples to under 18 year olds, and introduce new packaging, flavours, and point of sale display restrictions.

Whilst the use of nicotine pouches is currently low among adults, it is increasingly popular with younger male audiences. We will continue to monitor the use of these products and update public health guidance and messaging accordingly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential relationship between nicotine and type II diabetes.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

Studies have shown that smokers are 30% to 40% more likely to get type 2 diabetes than people who don’t smoke. Smoking can also make managing the condition more difficult, because high levels of nicotine can lessen the effectiveness of insulin. Such studies have focussed on the impact of nicotine contained within cigarettes, rather than alternative nicotine delivery methods, and the National Health Service recommends that smokers with diabetes should try to quit.

As stated during the Tobacco and Vapes Bill Committee on 14 May 2024, the Department is currently exploring research options to address these evidence gaps in the short, medium, and longer term. I will be setting out further details on this very soon.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether additional new burdens funding will be committed to local authorities who will require additional enforcement capacity within trading standards teams to enforce the policies included in the 2023 Department For Health and Social Care policy paper Stopping the Start.

Answered by Lord Markham

The Department published the command paper, Stopping the Start, in October 2023, which sets out our plans to create the first Smokefree Generation, to tackle youth vaping, and to strengthen tobacco and vape enforcement. These measures amount to the most significant public health intervention in a generation.

The policies announced in the command paper are being introduced through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently undertaking its passage through Parliament. The bill changes the age of sale of tobacco so that those born on or after 1 January 2009 will never be legally sold tobacco. It also prohibits the sale of non-nicotine vapes to under 18-year-olds, and the free distribution of vapes to under 18-year-olds, and introduces fixed penalty notices for breaches of the age of sale legislation.

To help tackle the rise in youth vaping, the bill provides powers to restrict vape flavours, point of sale displays, and packaging, and the Government has also confirmed that under environmental legislation, we will ban the sale and supply of disposable vapes. Any new burdens on local trading standards to enforce these new measures will be assessed ahead of any future regulations.

We are strengthening our enforcement activity through £30 million of new funding per year for enforcement agencies, including for trading standards, to boost the enforcement of underage tobacco and vape sales. In addition, fixed penalty notices introduced in the bill will support trading standards to take quicker action against irresponsible retailers, through using on-the-spot fines rather than going through lengthy magistrate’s court processes. Local authorities will keep the proceeds, to invest back into their enforcement activity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to publish a response to her Department's consultation on Mandating quit information messages inside tobacco packs, which closed on 10 October 2023.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

Smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom, and causes around one in four cancer deaths in the UK. It also costs our country £17 billion a year, and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. Alongside creating the first smokefree generation in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we are also scaling up our efforts to support existing smokers in quitting. We have provided an additional £70 million per year to local authority led stop smoking services, and we are investing in a new incentives programme to support pregnant women to quit. We are also providing £15 million a year to fund anti-smoking campaigns.

The Government ran a consultation on mandating informative messages about quitting smoking inside tobacco packs, which was open from 14 August 2023 to 10 October 2023. This included proposed inserts on a number of themes related to stopping smoking, such as benefits to physical and mental health, financial benefits, and how to access stop-smoking aids. We will aim to publish the response to this consultation in this parliamentary session.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of harm reduction approaches for people using tobacco and vaping products to end their dependencies.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

Smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom, and causes around one in four cancer deaths in the UK. It also costs our country £17 billion a year, and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. Smoking is an addiction and there is no liberty in addiction. It causes harm to not only to the smoker but to the whole of society. That is why we have introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, to create the first smokefree generation and enable us to further crack down on youth vaping. In addition, we are investing an additional £70 million per year, over five years, to support local authority commissioned stop smoking services. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is available at the following link:

https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3703.

Quitting smoking completely, immediately, and permanently is the best thing a smoker can do for their health, and smokers are three times as likely to succeed with stop smoking services (SSS) when compared to an unsupported quit attempt. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published recommendations on supporting people who do not want, or are not ready, to stop smoking in one go, to reduce the harm from smoking. The NICE’s guidance advises that the health benefits from reducing smoking are unclear, but if smokers reduce their smoking now, they are more likely to stop smoking in the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that lobbying by the tobacco industry does not undermine future public health policies aimed at reducing smoking rates.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

Smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom, and causes around one in four cancer deaths in the UK. It also costs our country £17 billion a year, and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. Smoking is an addiction, and there is no liberty in addiction. It causes harm to not only the smoker, but to society as a whole. That is why we have introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to create the first smokefree generation, and enable us to further crack down on youth vaping. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is available at the following link:

https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3703

The UK is a party to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and under Article 5.3 has an obligation to protect the development of public health policy from the vested interests of the tobacco industry. As a world leader in tobacco control, the Government takes this commitment very seriously. In 2023, the Department published guidance for Government engagement with the tobacco industry, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protocol-for-engagement-with-stakeholders-with-links-to-the-tobacco-industry/guidance-for-government-engagement-with-the-tobacco-industry

The Department regularly publishes correspondence from, or to, those with links to the tobacco industry, and it is available at the following link:

https://khub.net/web/phe-national/public-library/-/document_library/v2WsRK3ZlEig/view/394794557

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of banning the use of vapes in (a) public spaces, (b) bars and (c) vehicles with child passengers.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

Vaping can be an effective tool for adult smokers to quit smoking. However, the health advice is clear, if you don’t smoke, don’t vape, and children should never vape. This is why the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will give us powers to crack down on child friendly flavours and packaging, and to change the way vapes are displayed in shops, measures on which we will shortly consult.

Inhaling anything other than fresh air may have long term health effects. Evidence on the harm from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke is well established and because of its carcinogenic content there is no safe level of exposure. Breathing in other people’s tobacco smoke is known to cause a range of health issues. However, there is currently no evidence to suggest that second-hand vapour causes wider health harms in the way tobacco smoke does. Therefore, the Government has no plans to introduce restrictions on where people can vape.

However, many public venues and spaces have their own policies on vaping. For example, most hospitals and public transport have banned vaping. Employers or operators of indoor spaces would be within their rights to implement policies banning the use of vapes in their premises and many do so.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the risk of people moving from non-nicotine to nicotine vapes.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

Our health advice regarding vapes covers both non-nicotine as well as nicotine vapes, that while vaping can play a useful role in helping adult smokers to quit, non-smokers and children should never vape. The long-term health impacts of vaping are unknown, and the nicotine contained within nicotine vapes can be highly addictive.

We recognise the risk of non-nicotine vapes being used as a gateway to nicotine vapes by children. That is why the Tobacco and Vapes Bill includes new regulation making powers that will cover all vapes, nicotine as well as non-nicotine, to reduce their appeal and availability to children and non-smokers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans her Department has to assess the impact of regulation of vape (a) flavours, (b) packaging and product presentation and (c) point of sale displays on (i) quit rates of smokers and (ii) relapse rates of smokers who have switched to vaping.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

The health advice on vaping is clear, if you don’t smoke, don’t vape, and children should never vape. However, youth vaping has tripled in the last three years, and one in five children have now used a vape.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will crack down on youth vaping by providing powers to regulate flavours, displays, and packaging for vapes and nicotine pouches. It will ban free vape samples being given to children, and introduce an age of sale for non-nicotine vapes.

In doing this, we must strike the right balance between reducing the appeal of vapes to children while ensuring vapes remain attractive and available to adult smokers as a quit aid. This will be carefully considered in the development of any specific restrictions, and further consultation will take place before introducing any regulations. As stated in Parliament during the second reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we intend to hold the consultation on the regulations before the end of this Parliament, if practicable. We will also undertake an impact assessment to consider the potential impact of these regulations on smokers as well as other groups.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of her legislative proposals on vaping on trends in the level of (a) smokers who will quit and (b) ex-smokers who will relapse.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

The health advice on vaping is clear, if you don’t smoke, don’t vape, and children should never vape. However, youth vaping has tripled in the last three years, and one in five children have now used a vape.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will crack down on youth vaping by providing powers to regulate flavours, displays, and packaging for vapes and nicotine pouches. It will ban free vape samples being given to children, and introduce an age of sale for non-nicotine vapes.

In doing this, we must strike the right balance between reducing the appeal of vapes to children while ensuring vapes remain attractive and available to adult smokers as a quit aid. This will be carefully considered in the development of any specific restrictions, and further consultation will take place before introducing any regulations. As stated in Parliament during the second reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we intend to hold the consultation on the regulations before the end of this Parliament, if practicable. We will also undertake an impact assessment to consider the potential impact of these regulations on smokers as well as other groups.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if a Minister from her Department will visit Darlington to hold discussions with (a) the Police and (b) Trading Standards on the joint steps they are taking to help tackle the sale of illegal vapes and illicit tobacco.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

Ministers in the department are always happy to consider meetings and visits to understand the impact of their policy areas, and we recommend reaching out to Ministers’ offices directly.

A strong approach to enforcement is vital if the smokefree generation policy is to have real impact. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care recently visited a cargo warehouse at Heathrow Airport with Hillingdon Trading Standards to see first-hand the work they are doing to seize illicit vapes at the border, and prevent these products from being sold in the United Kingdom.

Underage and illicit sales of tobacco products, and more recently vaping products, is undermining the work the Government is doing to regulate the industry and protect public health. It also deprives the UK of vital money that could be used to fund essential public services, instead, putting it in the hands of criminals.

This is why alongside the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we are supporting enforcement agencies with up to £30 million a year, to scale up their existing activities. This increased investment will help to stamp out criminal activity by boosting enforcement capacity, and help local trading standards tackle underage sales at a local level. Of this funding, over £100 million over five years will support HM Revenue and Custom’s and Border Force’s new illicit tobacco strategy. As is the case with existing age of sale legislation, breaches of the new law will primarily be dealt with by local authority trading standards, rather than by local police forces.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will publish the Regulatory Policy Committee's original opinion on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill submitted to her Department on 12 February 2024; if she will outline the changes she has made to that Bill since receiving that opinion; and what discussions she has had with the Regulatory Policy Committee on the expected timetable for their submission of the revised opinion.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

Smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom, and causes around one in four cancer deaths in the UK. It also costs our country £17 billion a year, and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. That is why we have introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to create the first smokefree generation, and enable us to further crack down on youth vaping. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is available at the following link:

https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3703

On 12 February 2024 the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) gave opinion on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill impact assessment and rated it green (fit for purpose). However, on 19 March 2024, ahead of the introduction of the bill, a revised version was sent to the RPC for comment. This included changes to reflect the inclusion of Northern Ireland in the bill, following the formation of a Northern Ireland Executive, and a power in the bill to enable the current notification system for nicotine vapes to also cover non-nicotine vapes and other consumer nicotine products, for instance nicotine pouches. The RPC have publicly stated that they welcome the resubmission of the revised impact assessment, and we expect a revised opinion to be issued shortly. The statement from the RPC is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-tobacco-and-vapes-bill-statement-from-the-rpc

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Regulatory Policy Committee's revised opinion on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill is published by 16 April 2024.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

Smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom, and causes around one in four cancer deaths in the UK. It also costs our country £17 billion a year, and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. That is why we have introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to create the first smokefree generation, and enable us to further crack down on youth vaping. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is available at the following link:

https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3703

On 12 February 2024 the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) gave opinion on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill impact assessment and rated it green (fit for purpose). However, on 19 March 2024, ahead of the introduction of the bill, a revised version was sent to the RPC for comment. This included changes to reflect the inclusion of Northern Ireland in the bill, following the formation of a Northern Ireland Executive, and a power in the bill to enable the current notification system for nicotine vapes to also cover non-nicotine vapes and other consumer nicotine products, for instance nicotine pouches. The RPC have publicly stated that they welcome the resubmission of the revised impact assessment, and we expect a revised opinion to be issued shortly. The statement from the RPC is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-tobacco-and-vapes-bill-statement-from-the-rpc

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions officials in her Department have had with the Office for Health Improvements and Disparities on the findings in it's Vaping in England review, published on 29 September 2022, that non-tobacco flavours may play a positive role in helping people switch from smoking to vaping.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

Due to the nicotine content and the unknown long-term harms, vaping carries risks to health and lifelong addiction for children. Vaping is, therefore, only recommended for adult smokers who wish to quit smoking. Young people and people who have never smoked, should not vape.

Our youth vaping call for evidence, published in 2023, demonstrated that the flavours are one of the main reasons that vapes appeal to children. However, as set out in the 2022 Nicotine vaping in England review, we also recognize that there is some evidence that non-tobacco flavours can play a positive role in smoking cessation. This is why it is critical we strike the balance between restricting flavours in vapes to reduce their appeal to young people, whilst also ensuring that vapes remain available for adult smokers as a viable smoking cessation tool.

In the upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we will introduce powers to restrict vape flavours. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Department will then undertake further analysis and consultation before introducing any specific flavour restrictions. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) is an internal part of the Department, and OHID officials are leading on our smokefree generation and youth vaping work.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) vapes, (b) vapes with flavoured e-liquids and (c) vapes with fruit, dessert and sweet flavoured e-liquids at successful tobacco smoking cessation.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

Due to the nicotine content and the unknown long-term harms, vaping carries risks to health and lifelong addiction for children. Vaping is, therefore, only recommended for adult smokers who wish to quit smoking. Young people and people who have never smoked, should not vape.

Our youth vaping call for evidence, published in 2023, demonstrated that the flavours are one of the main reasons that vapes appeal to children. However, as set out in the 2022 Nicotine vaping in England review, we also recognize that there is some evidence that non-tobacco flavours can play a positive role in smoking cessation. This is why it is critical we strike the balance between restricting flavours in vapes to reduce their appeal to young people, whilst also ensuring that vapes remain available for adult smokers as a viable smoking cessation tool.

In the upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we will introduce powers to restrict vape flavours. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Department will then undertake further analysis and consultation before introducing any specific flavour restrictions. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) is an internal part of the Department, and OHID officials are leading on our smokefree generation and youth vaping work.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of banning the sale of tobacco products to people born after 1 January 2009 on tobacco duties.

Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Exchequer Secretary (Treasury)

Tobacco_and_vapes_bill_IA.pdf (parliament.uk)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has had discussions with the UK Vaping Industry Association on its proposals for a vape retail licence.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

The Department has not had any discussions with the UK Vaping Industry Association on its proposals for a vape retail license, though we have received written representations on this issue. There are no current plans to introduce a licensing scheme. However, the Government recognises that strong enforcement is needed to tackle underage and illicit vape sales. The new Tobacco and Vapes Bill includes provisions to issue fixed penalty notices for underage tobacco and vape sales. This will complement existing powers that local authorities have to enforce age of sale legislation including fines of up to £2,500, and for the most serious offences, court orders to prevent the offending retailer from opening for a period.

In addition, we have committed to increasing investment for our enforcement agencies by £30 million per year, and at Spring Budget the Chancellor announced that the Government will introduce a new duty on vaping products, giving HM Revenue and Customs further powers to minimise fraud, introduce civil and criminal powers to seize illicit products and equipment, and issue penalties.

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Found: ://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tobacco-and-vapes-bill-impact-assessmenthttps://www.gov.uk/government

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill: RPC Opinion (Green-rated)

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill: RPC Opinion (Green-rated)

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Statement from the RPC

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill LCM Letter from the Minister for Public Health and Women's Health to the HSCS

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill LCM Letter from the HSCS Convener to the Minister for Public Health and Women's

Found: ASH Scotland ’s evidence for the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s consideration of the Tobacco

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill response from the Scottish Government Letter from the Minister for Public Health

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill LCM Letter from NCD Alliance Scotland to the HSCS Convener concerning the Tobacco

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill LCM Letter to NCD Alliance Scotland from the HSCS Convener concerning the Tobacco

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill LCM Letter from Cancer Research UK to the HSCS Convener concerning the Tobacco

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill LCM Letter from NCD Alliance Scotland to the HSCS Convener concerning the Tobacco

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill letter to the Scottish Government Letter from the Convener to the Cabinet Secretary

Found: Minister for Public Health and Women's Health to the HSCS Convener concerning the introduction of the Tobacco

Found: agreeing to continue and uprate minimum unit pricing and Westminster voting to support the UK wide Tobacco

Found: Following this the UK wide Tobacco and Vapes Bill was published in March 2024 and The Bill will increase

Found: and tackling youth vaping ’consultation launched in October 2023[104]. are being taken forward in the Tobacco

Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the potential impact on its commitment to ban single-use vapes in the event that the UK Government's Tobacco and Vapes Bill is not passed by the UK Parliament, and what discussions the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity has had with the UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, or any other UK Government ministers, regarding this Bill.

Answered by McAllan, Màiri - Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy

The passage of the four nations Tobacco and Vapes Bill has no impact on the Scottish Government’s commitment to prohibit the sale and supply of single-use vapes. The prohibition of the sale and supply of single-use vapes is being progressed under existing environmental powers devolved to Scottish Ministers. The UK Government and Welsh Government are progressing similar legislation in England and Wales respectively.

Work on the Tobacco and Vaping Bill, in Scotland, is being led by the Minister for Public Health and Women's Health. This Bill will increase the age of sale for tobacco products and provide powers to legislate on vape flavours, displays, packaging, and other measures. As the Bill makes provisions within the competence of the Scottish Parliament, a Legislative Consent Memorandum was brought forward on 2nd April for consideration by this Parliament.