Found: action to tackle behavioural risk factors for cardiovascular disease including the ambitious Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: If you take the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, there is very widespread public support for it across the political

Found: Public Bill Committee Resolved, That the Com mittee appoint Members to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill Committee

Found: The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will phase out the sale of tobacco to future generations by raising the age

Found: virus opt-out testing, dated 11.12.23 Correspondence from the Secretary of State on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: We are seeing that already, for example—we have talked about this before, Gavin—with the Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: We are seeing that already, for example—we have talked about this before, Gavin—with the Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill does not lead to (a) restrictions and (b) bans on smoking in outside areas of hospitality businesses.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will put us on track towards a smoke-free UK, was introduced to Parliament on 5 November 2024. On 26 March 2025, MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of advancing the Bill to the next Parliamentary stage and it has now entered the House of Lords.

The Bill allows us to expand current indoor smoking restrictions to outdoor public places and workplaces. However, we have been very clear that in England, we intend to consult on extending smoke-free places to outside schools, children’s playgrounds and hospitals but not outdoor hospitality settings or wider open spaces like beaches. Private outdoor spaces are out of scope of the powers in the Bill.

We do not intend to extend these powers further than this at this time and recognise that now would not be the right time to consult on making outdoor hospitality settings smoke-free in England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that outdoor hospitality areas remain outside the scope of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will put us on track towards a smoke-free UK, was introduced to Parliament on 5 November 2024. On 26 March 2025, MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of advancing the Bill to the next Parliamentary stage and it has now entered the House of Lords.

The Bill allows us to expand current indoor smoking restrictions to outdoor public places and workplaces. However, we have been very clear that in England, we intend to consult on extending smoke-free places to outside schools, children’s playgrounds and hospitals but not outdoor hospitality settings or wider open spaces like beaches. Private outdoor spaces are out of scope of the powers in the Bill.

We do not intend to extend these powers further than this at this time and recognise that now would not be the right time to consult on making outdoor hospitality settings smoke-free in England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce restrictions on the flavours and packaging of nicotine pouches.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Data from August 2024 by ASH suggests that 1.2% of children aged between 11 and 18 years old currently use nicotine pouches. The Government is concerned that these products, just like vapes, are being branded and marketed to appeal to children through colourful packaging and flavours. There is currently no set nicotine limit for nicotine pouches, and nicotine strengths vary from two milligrams per pouch to as high as 150 milligrams per pouch.

That is why, through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we are banning the advertisement and sponsorship of these products, introducing age of sale restrictions to people aged 18 years old for nicotine pouches, banning free samples, and providing powers to restrict packaging, flavours, and point of sale displays.

These powers will also allow the Government to limit the amount of nicotine in a pouch, as well as ban any other ingredient that might be harmful in a pouch. We will therefore be able to regulate, subject to consultation, to ensure that nicotine pouches are limited to an appropriate strength.

We will consult on these regulations as soon as possible once the bill has received Royal Assent.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle the rise in illegal high-strength nicotine pouches.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Data from August 2024 by ASH suggests that 1.2% of children aged between 11 and 18 years old currently use nicotine pouches. The Government is concerned that these products, just like vapes, are being branded and marketed to appeal to children through colourful packaging and flavours. There is currently no set nicotine limit for nicotine pouches, and nicotine strengths vary from two milligrams per pouch to as high as 150 milligrams per pouch.

That is why, through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we are banning the advertisement and sponsorship of these products, introducing age of sale restrictions to people aged 18 years old for nicotine pouches, banning free samples, and providing powers to restrict packaging, flavours, and point of sale displays.

These powers will also allow the Government to limit the amount of nicotine in a pouch, as well as ban any other ingredient that might be harmful in a pouch. We will therefore be able to regulate, subject to consultation, to ensure that nicotine pouches are limited to an appropriate strength.

We will consult on these regulations as soon as possible once the bill has received Royal Assent.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many hospital admissions for preventable cardiovascular disease there have been in each of the past three years.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold data on the number of admissions for cardiovascular disease which are preventable. However, we know that up to 70% of cardiovascular disease is preventable and linked to behavioural, metabolic, and environmental risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, living with obesity, and air pollution.

The Government is tackling the root cause of preventable heart disease and stroke through the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill, implementing advertising regulations for less healthy food and drink to children on television and online, and giving councils stronger, clearer powers to block the development of new fast-food shops near schools.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the health implications of using nicotine pouches, particularly for oral health.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Data from August 2024 by ASH suggests that 1.2% of children aged between 11 and 18 years old currently use nicotine pouches. A copy of the report in which this data is contained is attached.

There is currently limited research and evidence into the harms of nicotine pouches, including implications for oral health. However, they are never recommended for children. Nicotine, the active ingredient in pouches, is a highly addicted drug, and we have a duty to protect children and young people from future harm and addiction. Advice on the health impacts of nicotine can be found on the Talk to Frank website.

That is why, through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we are banning the advertisement and sponsorship of these products, introducing age of sale restrictions to 18 years old for nicotine pouches, banning free samples, and providing powers to restrict packaging, flavours, and point of sale displays.

We will continue to monitor the use of these products and will update public health guidance and messaging accordingly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of children and young people using nicotine pouches.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Data from August 2024 by ASH suggests that 1.2% of children aged between 11 and 18 years old currently use nicotine pouches. A copy of the report in which this data is contained is attached.

There is currently limited research and evidence into the harms of nicotine pouches, including implications for oral health. However, they are never recommended for children. Nicotine, the active ingredient in pouches, is a highly addicted drug, and we have a duty to protect children and young people from future harm and addiction. Advice on the health impacts of nicotine can be found on the Talk to Frank website.

That is why, through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we are banning the advertisement and sponsorship of these products, introducing age of sale restrictions to 18 years old for nicotine pouches, banning free samples, and providing powers to restrict packaging, flavours, and point of sale displays.

We will continue to monitor the use of these products and will 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 he has made of the potential impact of a ban on the (a) marketing and (b) advertising of (i) e-cigarette and vaping products, (ii) non-medically licensed nicotine products and (iii) heated tobacco products on the number of adults switching from cigarettes to alternatives.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The health advice is clear that vaping is only recommended for adult smokers who wish to quit smoking. Youth vaping has more than doubled in the last five years with one in four children aged between 11 and 15 years old having tried vaping in 2023. It is unacceptable that vapes are deliberately promoted and advertised to children, and this must be stopped to prevent future generations from being hooked on nicotine.

The Government has published a thorough impact assessment of the measures included in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, including the prohibition on the advertising of vaping products and nicotine products.

Public health messaging and campaigns will continue to support the promotion of vapes as a quit aid for smokers, as outlined on the Better Health and National Health Service websites. Additionally, the Government is committed to supporting smokers to quit, through a range of services. We are investing an additional £70 million in 2025/26 for local Stop Smoking Services in England and are working to ensure all NHS hospitals offer ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation purposes.

All tobacco products are harmful to health. There is evidence of toxicity from heated tobacco in laboratory studies. The aerosol generated by heated tobacco also contains carcinogens, and there will be a risk to the health of anyone using these products.

The Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 prohibits the advertisement and sponsorship of tobacco products, and that prohibition applies to tobacco products intended to be smoked, sniffed, sucked or chewed. It is the Department’s view that the legislation applies to any tobacco product, regardless of when it was developed, and that heated tobacco products and the heating device to be used with it are caught under this legislation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle the sale of illegal vapes in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will strengthen the enforcement of vape sales regulations by giving Ministers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland the ability to introduce a licensing scheme for the retail sale of tobacco, vapes and nicotine products. The licensing scheme will support Trading Standards to crack down on rogue vape retailers. The Bill also enables the introduction of a new registration scheme for tobacco, vape and nicotine products sold on the United Kingdom market. This will help ensure products are compliant with product safety and standards requirements and will enable Trading Standards to remove non-compliant products from the market quickly and efficiently.

In 2025/26, we will invest £10 million of new funding in Trading Standards to enhance their work to tackle the illicit and underage sale of tobacco and vapes, and support the implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

The introduction of a new Vaping Products Duty in October 2026 will provide civil and criminal powers for HM Revenue and Customs to assess for duty and seize products and equipment used to produce or transport illicit vape products.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve cardiovascular disease outcomes.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to tackling the biggest killers, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), and the Health Mission sets an ambition to reduce premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% in the next 10 years. The Department held a symposium on heart disease and stroke on 13 March 2025 where charities, patient advocacy groups, clinicians, think-tanks and other experts discussed how to deliver on the ambition.

We are tackling the root cause of preventable heart disease and stroke by introducing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, implementing the advertising regulations for less healthy food and drink on television and online, and empowering councils to block the development of new fast-food shops outside schools.

To improve access to the NHS Health Check, a core component of England’s CVD prevention programme, we are developing a new NHS Heath Check Online tool so that people can have a check at a time and place convenient to them to understand and act on their CVD risk.

Furthermore, we are trialling a new workplace CVD check which will deliver more than 130,000 lifesaving heart health checks in the workplace.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing mandatory healthiness targets for large supermarket retailers.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children and tackling the three biggest killers which will require effort from across society on not just obesity but alcohol and smoking. We have made a start with Tobacco and Vapes Bill and will continue to speak to partners across industry and civic society to best understand what actions help to change behaviours in a way that puts power in the hands of consumers.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, we are committed to achieving our health mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future, and under the 10-Year Health Plan to shift from ‘sickness to prevention’. Making the healthier choice the easier choice is a major part of creating a food environment that is fairer, with the fewest lives lost to the biggest killers and where everyone lives well for longer. Obesity is one of the key drivers of ill health, economic inactivity and premature mortality, as highlighted in the recently published Get Britain Working White Paper.

As part of considerations around mandatory healthiness targets, the Food Data Transparency Partnership (FDTP) was created prior to the 2024 General Election; this was a shared programme of work across the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, and the Food Standards Agency. The FDTP was paused at the election and is being reviewed alongside other obesity policies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) safety and (b) regulation of (i) snus and (ii) nicotine pouches.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Oral tobacco, otherwise known as snus, has been banned in the United Kingdom and the European Union since 1992. All tobacco products are harmful to health, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined that smokeless tobacco is carcinogenic to humans. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill re-enacts the existing ban in a way that is more comprehensive, clearer, and more accessible for the relevant parties, such as retailers and enforcement agencies. We have no intention of allowing a banned and harmful product into the UK market.

There is currently limited research and evidence into the harms of nicotine pouches. However, they are never recommended for children. Nicotine, the active ingredient in pouches, is a highly addicted drug, and we have a duty to protect children and young people from future harm and addiction. Advice on the health impacts 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 banning the advertisement and sponsorship of these products, introducing age of sale restrictions to 18 years old for nicotine pouches, banning free samples, and providing powers to restrict packaging, flavours, and point of sale displays.

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 will 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, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of a ban on the (a) marketing and (b) advertising of (i) e-cigarette and vaping products, (ii) non-medically licensed nicotine products, and (iii) heated tobacco products on adult smokers switching from combustible cigarettes to alternatives.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has published a thorough impact assessment of the measures included in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, including the prohibition on the advertising of vaping products and nicotine products.

Public health messaging and campaigns will continue to support the promotion of vapes as a quit aid for smokers, as outlined on the Better Health and National Health Service websites. Additionally, through our national Swap to Stop scheme, we’re helping adult smokers to quit by providing up to one million vapes to local authorities.

The Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 prohibits the advertisement and sponsorship of tobacco products, and that prohibition applies to tobacco products intended to be smoked, sniffed, sucked, or chewed. The Department’s view is that heated tobacco is captured by this definition.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled 10-year study to shed light on youth vaping, published on 19 February 2025, what steps he plans to take to ensure all data reviewed is from the use of vapes compliant with UK regulations.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Due to the nicotine content and unknown long-term harms, vapes and nicotine products carry risks of harm and addiction, and this is particularly acute for adolescents whose brains are still developing.

The 10-year Adolescent Health Study (AHS) will follow a cohort of 100,000 eight to 18 year olds from across the United Kingdom and will provide further insights about the health consequences of vaping for young people. This will provide healthcare professionals and policymakers with the robust evidence they need to shape future policy. We will continue to engage with the AHS team during the study’s development.

Alongside this, we will continue to clamp down on illicit vapes and those which are not compliant with UK regulations. We have also committed to invest £10 million of new funding in 2025/26, to support Trading Standards to tackle underage and illicit tobacco and vape sales.

Through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we are also introducing powers to introduce a retail licensing scheme and create a more robust product registration scheme. A new registration scheme, along with stricter rules on testing and product requirements, will support a safe and legal market for tobacco and vape products, and will allow us to quickly identify illicit products which should not be on shelves.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department plans to provide for smoking cessation programmes in the 2025-26 financial year.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is providing £70 million of additional funding for local authority-led Stop Smoking Services in England in 2025/26. We will invest £10 million of new funding in 2025/26 to support Trading Standards to tackle underage and illicit tobacco and vape sales, and to support the implementation of the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The Government is also investing over £100 million over five years to boost HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force’s enforcement capabilities to tackle illicit tobacco, supporting the Illicit Tobacco Strategy. Decisions on other smoking cessation programmes will be announced in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to regulate the packaging of vapes to provide similar safeguards to that of cigarettes.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is very worrying that approximately 25% of 11 to 15-year-olds have tried vaping, despite the risks of nicotine addiction. Evidence suggests that vapes appeal to children because of the brightly coloured packaging, amongst other child-friendly features. Evidence also indicates that the nicotine content descriptions on vape packaging are not consistent between packaging, preventing adults from making informed decisions on nicotine strength.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill provides my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care with regulation-making powers to introduce new requirements on retail packaging, including for vaping products and nicotine products. There is a balance to be struck between reducing the appeal of vapes to non-smokers, particularly children, whilst considering the implications for adult smokers to ensure we can achieve the greatest possible impact.

It is our intention to regulate the appeal of vapes to children, whilst minimising the impact on adult smokers. We plan on consulting on the preferred options to get this balance right as soon as possible after the bill gains Royal Assent.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle tobacco bundle packs; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of prohibiting the promotion of these bundles.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not made an assessment on the potential merits of prohibiting the sale of bundles, consisting of hand rolling tobacco, cigarette papers, and filters, being sold together at a discount.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill gives my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care powers to regulate the features of all tobacco products, including their size and shape, as well as the number of individual products contained in an individual packet. The bill also widens this power to cover tobacco related devices, herbal smoking products, and cigarette papers. The bill gives my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care the power to make, via regulations, prohibitions, requirements, and limitations on the supply of these products. This power would cover bundles of products that are sold in a package together.

Tobacco taxation is a matter for HM Treasury. As announced at Autumn Budget 2024, duty rates on all tobacco products were increased, in line with the tobacco duty escalator, by 2% above Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation. The duty rate on hand-rolling tobacco was increased by a further 10% to 12% above RPI inflation, to reduce the gap with duty on cigarettes. These changes came into effect on 30 October 2024. High and increasing rates of tobacco duty are proven to incentivise those who currently smoke either to quit or to smoke less, and support public finances.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the prevention stream of the health mission; and when he plans to publish an update from the mission board.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to tackling the United Kingdom’s biggest killers and building a fairer UK, where everyone lives longer, healthier lives. This is why our Health Mission sets out to shift away from a model geared towards late diagnosis and treatment, to one where there is focus on prevention and more services are delivered in local communities.

We have already acted with the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill passing committee stage on 30 January 2025. We are committed to banning junk food advertising to children. A 9pm TV watershed and 24-hour online ban on paid-for advertising of less healthy food and drink products targeting children are on track to come into force across the UK on 1 October 2025. We have also committed to banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to young people aged under 16 years old.

Alongside this, we are exploring all interventions that will improve public health across a range of the UK’s biggest killers and help deliver the shift from treatment to prevention. Further details on our approach will be shared as we move forward.

Mission Boards are Cabinet Committees. It is a long-established precedent that information about the proceedings of the Cabinet or of any committee of the Cabinet is not normally shared publicly; this includes mission boards.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 24256 on Electronic Cigarettes: Young People, whether the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will restrict the size of vape tanks.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Whilst nicotine vapes are already subject to tank size requirements, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill goes further and covers all types of vapes, both nicotine and non-nicotine, and consumer nicotine products.

As stated in our previous answer, the bill provides powers on product features that allow the Government to regulate the size of a tank or refill container, and the amount of liquid that can be included, as well as powers to standardise the size and shape of vapes, and to further restrict liquid availability.

Subject to consultation, regulation making powers in the Government’s bill will allow us to amend or place additional requirements and limits on vape tank sizes, and the size of refill tanks. The Government will consider this issue further as part of its secondary legislation programme after Royal Assent.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the application of section 7A of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 on the introduction of a generational smoking ban in Northern Ireland, as proposed in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government intends to apply the Tobacco and Vapes Bill across the United Kingdom and it has been developed in partnership with the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive.

In the drafting of the Bill, the Government has considered all its domestic and international obligations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the five-point prevention plan.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to tackling the United Kingdom’s biggest killers and building a fairer UK, where everyone lives longer, healthier lives. This is why our Health Mission aims to shift away from a model geared towards late diagnosis and treatment, to one where there is focus on prevention, and more services are delivered in local communities. Our core objective is to shorten the amount of time spent in ill-health and prevent premature deaths, and we are committed to this.

We have already taken action, with the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill passing the committee stage on 30 January. We are committed to banning junk food advertising to children. A 9:00pm television watershed and 24-hour online ban on paid-for advertising of less healthy food and drink products targeting children are on track to come into force across the UK on 1 October 2025. We have also committed to banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16-year-olds.

Alongside this, we are exploring all interventions that will improve public health across a range of the UK’s biggest killers and help deliver the shift from treatment to prevention. Further details on our approach will be shared as we move forward.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the five-point prevention plan.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to tackling the United Kingdom’s biggest killers and building a fairer UK, where everyone lives longer, healthier lives. This is why our Health Mission aims to shift away from a model geared towards late diagnosis and treatment, to one where there is focus on prevention, and more services are delivered in local communities. Our core objective is to shorten the amount of time spent in ill-health and prevent premature deaths, and we are committed to this.

We have already taken action, with the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill passing the committee stage on 30 January. We are committed to banning junk food advertising to children. A 9:00pm television watershed and 24-hour online ban on paid-for advertising of less healthy food and drink products targeting children are on track to come into force across the UK on 1 October 2025. We have also committed to banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16-year-olds.

Alongside this, we are exploring all interventions that will improve public health across a range of the UK’s biggest killers and help deliver the shift from treatment to prevention. Further details on our approach will be shared as we move forward.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the impact assessment for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, published on 5 November 2024, whether the specified cost of retailer staff training (a) is a one-off cost and (b) reflects ongoing costs in relation to planned secondary legislation relating to that Bill.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne

The estimated familiarisation and staff training costs included in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill impact assessment are assumed to be one-off costs, and individual estimates are provided for each specific policy.

The bill will gradually end the sale of tobacco products across the country, so an individual born on or after 1 January 2009 will never be legally sold these products, including through proxy purchasing. Although it will mean the legal age of sale effectively increases by one year each year, the regulations will not change every year. This means it will be a one-off cost for retailers in terms of training staff.

Some indicative estimates for staff training are included for secondary legislation. This, however, will be subject to consultation and, where proportionate, further work will be completed to assess the costs and benefits of these measures.

We will continue to work closely with retailers to support them in implementing the smoke-free generation policy in the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make a comparative estimate of the costs of (a) implementing a one-time increase in the legal purchase age of tobacco and (b) introducing an age escalator, in the context of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne

Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death, disability, and ill health. It causes approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom, one in four of all cancer deaths, and kills up to two-thirds of its users.

Smoking also substantially increases the risk of many major health conditions throughout people’s lives, such as strokes, diabetes, heart disease, stillbirth, dementia, and asthma. Three quarters of smokers wish they had never started smoking but are unable to stop due to the addictive nature of tobacco.

It is estimated that smoking costs the country £21.8 billion a year in England. This includes an annual £18.3 billion loss to productivity, through smoking related lost earnings, unemployment, and early death, as well as costs to the National Health Service and social care of over £2 billion.

On 5 November 2024, the Department published an impact assessment on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. This found that the introduction of the smoke-free generation policy, the progressive increase in the age of sale, will get smoking rates in England for 14 to 30 year olds to 0% as early as 2050. Over the next 50 years it will save tens of thousands of lives, and avoid up to 130,000 cases of cases of lung cancer, strokes, and heart disease.

The impact assessment explored a one-time age increase, but this has been discounted as it does not achieve the policy objective to prevent future generations from ever taking up smoking and getting smoking prevalence to 0% to achieve a smoke-free United Kingdom. Simply raising the age of sale to one set year will only raise the age that people start smoking, and would not break the cycle of addiction and disadvantage.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2025 to Question 22648 on Smoking: Public Places, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent local authorities from introducing byelaws on smoking restrictions that go further than provided for in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill and byelaw reform commitments outlined in the English Devolution White Paper are both subject to public consultation, and we will consider all views.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to include cancer prevention within the National Cancer Plan.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne

The Government has been clear that there should be a national cancer plan, and we are now in discussions about what form it should take, including the role of prevention in the work to reduce the lives lost to cancer. We will develop and publish the 10-Year Health Plan before publishing a new national cancer plan, and will provide updates in due course.

The Government recognises the importance of primary and secondary prevention within a holistic approach to improving cancer outcomes. With this aim, the plan will set out how we will fight cancer on all fronts, from prevention to diagnosis, treatment, and research.

Work is already underway on cancer prevention, with extensive programmes across vaccination, screening, and education, which have the potential to support both reductions in cases of cancer, and increases in early diagnosis rates. For example, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has led to a substantial reduction in cervical cancer cases. All children aged 12 to 13 years old, those in Year 8, are offered the HPV vaccine, and NHS England is taking action to increase uptake. In addition, the NHS Cervical Screening Programme provides all women between the ages of 25 and 64 years old with the opportunity to be screened routinely to detect certain types of HPV infection, which is the cause of 99.7% of cervical cancer.

Smoking is the cause of 72% of all lung cancers, and the diagnosis of lung cancer at an earlier stage helps to achieve better results, as there is a wider range of treatment options which can be curative. In response to this, the Government is committed to creating a smoke-free generation through the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The latest data shows that the Targeted Lung Screening Programme contributed to an 8% increase in the early diagnosis of lung cancer compared to the pre-pandemic rate.

However, the Government recognises that there is much more to be done on cancer prevention, and the value in engaging in wide-ranging and meaningful engagement and consultation on how cancer services can meet the needs of those living with cancer. We plan to engage with a wide range of cancer partners, including charities and patient representative bodies, in the development of the national cancer plan.

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024-25: Progress of the Bill

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Delegated Powers Memorandum

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill EXPLANATORY NOTES Explanatory notes to the Bill, prepared by the Department

Found: HL Bill 89-EN 59/1 TOBACCO AND VAPES BILL EXPLANATORY NOTES What these notes do These Explanatory

Found: Report Stage: Wednesday 26 March 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Report Stage: Wednesday 26 March 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: WEDNESDAY 26 MARCH 2025 TOBACCO AND VAPES BILL Consideration (report stage) of Bill Speaker’s provisional

Found: Report Stage: Tuesday 25 March 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: 25 March 2025 Dear Committee Members, Ahead of Report stage for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: Report Stage: Monday 24 March 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Report Stage: Friday 21 March 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Report Stage: Thursday 20 March 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Report Stage: Wednesday 19 March 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Report Stage: Tuesday 18 March 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Report Stage: Wednesday 12 March 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Report Stage: Thursday 6 March 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Report Stage: Wednesday 5 March 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Report Stage: Tuesday 4 March 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Report Stage: Wednesday 26 February 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This

Found: Report Stage: Tuesday 25 February 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Report Stage: Friday 21 February 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Report Stage: Thursday 20 February 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024-25: Progress of the Bill

Found: Report Stage: Thursday 13 February 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This

Found: 2025, the Northern Ireland Assembly agreed a Legislative Consent Motion relating to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: Report Stage: Monday 10 February 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Report Stage: Friday 7 February 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Report Stage: Thursday 6 February 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Report Stage: Monday 3 February 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, As Amended (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: evidence submitted by Professor John Holloway, University of Southampton (TVB87) Response to Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: 1 Submission To The Tobacco and Vapes Bill Committee Vendi Tech Unit 8, Millbrook

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill Written evidence submitted by Resolve ASB (TVB97) January 2025 About us Resolve

Found: following statements made by Dr Beccy Cooper MP at the recent Eleventh Committee Sitting for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill 304 3 Omit section 102.

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill EXPLANATORY NOTES Explanatory notes to the Bill, prepared by the Department

Found: Committee Stage: Thursday 30 January 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill (Committee Stage Decisions) This

Found: Committee Stage: Thursday 30 January 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill (Amendment Paper) This document lists

Found: Hill Road, Newbridge, Edinburgh, EH28 8PH 24 th January 2025 Subject: Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: The British Paediatric Respiratory Society (BPRS) supports the overarching aims of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: 1 Public Bill Committee Tobacco and Vapes Bill By email: scrutiny@parliament.uk January

Found: Written evidence response: Tobacco and Vapes Bill, January 2025 Page 1 of 6 The Association

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill Supplementary written evidence submitted by NASUWT (TVB85) NASUWT is The Teachers

Found: Date: 29 January 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024-25 Executive Summary Australian Association

Found: Written evidence on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, submitted by Dr Johannes Kniess, Senior Lecturer

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill Written evidence submitted by Robert Sidebottom (TVB84) I have worked in the vaping

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill Written evidence submitted by Bristol City Council (BCC) (TVB83) Executive summary

Found: Committee Stage: Wednesday 29 January 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: 30 January 2025 TOBACCO AND VAPES BILL Chair’s provisional selection and grouping of amendments in

Found: Committee Stage: Tuesday 28 January 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill (Committee Stage Decisions) This document

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill Written evidence submitted by Asthma + Lung UK (TVB74) House of Commons Public

Found: Committee Stage: Tuesday 28 January 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill (Amendment Paper) This document lists

Found: 28 January 2025 TOBACCO AND VAPES BILL Chair’s provisional selection and grouping of amendments

Found: Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health Collaborative (Champs) (TVB76) Written evidence to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: Analysis of Potential Unintended Consequences of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill The Tobacco

Found: Committee Stage: Monday 27 January 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill (Amendment Paper) This document lists

Found: Committee Stage: Friday 24 January 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill (Amendment Paper) This document lists

Found: Committee Stage: Thursday 23 January 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill (Committee Stage Decisions) This

Found: Committee Stage: Thursday 23 January 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill (Amendment Paper) This document lists

Found: 23 January 2025 TOBACCO AND VAPES BILL Chair’s provisional selection and grouping of amendments in

Found: Committee Stage: Wednesday 22 January 2025 Tobacco and Vapes Bill (Amendment Paper) This document

Found: Smoking and Health Scotland) for the UK Parliament’s Public Bill Committee regarding the Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: Tobacco and Vapes Bill Written evidence submitted for the Public Bill Committee on the Tobacco and Vapes

Found: Commons London SW1A 0AA Dear Chairs, Following our written evidence contributed to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: The ban will complement the world-leading Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will tackle youth vaping and

Found: from illicit tobacco and vapes have been unveiled today (Sunday 22 March) as the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: The research coincides with the world-leading Tobacco and Vapes Bill which will clamp down on youth vaping

Found: of engagement it has with UK Hospitality, particularly on impact assessments such as the Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: Letter dated 25/03/2025 from Ashley Dalton MP to MPs regarding issues raised in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: Regulation and Metrology Bill (UK Parliament legislation) • Data (Use and Access) Bill • Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: Legislative Consent Memorandum: delegated powers relevant to Scotland in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill A

Found: The UK Government has now reintroduced the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will set out provisions

Found: ConferenceAndrew Gwynne MPTobacco and Vapes Policy2024-11-04 00:00:00Media / VirtualPre Recording for tobacco and vapes bill

Found: Correspondence regarding Tobacco and Vapes Bill: FOI release

Found: Correspondence regarding Tobacco and Vapes Bill: FOI release

Found: Scotland E: [Redacted s.38(1)(b)] Dear Mr First Minister Following the fall of the Tobacco and vapes Bill

Found: PfG: Collaborate across the four nations on banning the sale of single use vapes and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: from the industry to a consultation on measures within former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action has been taken to implement the Respiratory Care Action Plan.

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

We are working with various delivery partners to implement the commitments in the Respiratory Care Action Plan (RCAP), which runs into 2026.

We established the Scottish Respiratory Advisory Committee to provide expert support to the implementation of the RCAP. The Committee identified three initial areas of focus: child to adult transition, pulmonary rehab and respiratory data.

The Committee’s Child to Adult Transitions subgroup has produced a set of recommendations to ensure children with asthma and other respiratory conditions have the best possible care and treatment as they move into adult service.

To improve the data available on respiratory conditions and ensure people with respiratory conditions are receiving the right care and support, we are working towards establishing a national audit programme for respiratory conditions. We aim to progress this with Public Health Scotland in 2025/2026.

In 2024, we published the Quality Prescribing Strategy for Respiratory: A Guide for Improvement 2024-2027 that sets out our ambitions for better access to respiratory care. This can be found here – https://www.gov.scot/publications/quality-prescribing-strategy-respiratory-guide-improvement-2024-2027/

The Centre for Sustainable Delivery based at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital is developing national patient pathways for respiratory conditions including severe asthma, COPD and sleep apnoea. This work aligns closely with the commitments in the RCAP.

The RCAP also recognises the importance of commitments under the Scottish Government’s Cleaner Air for Scotland and Warmer Homes Strategies and the refreshed Tobacco Action Plan in preventing respiratory disease.

We remain committed to a tobacco-free Scotland by 2034 and welcome the re-introduction of the UK-wide Tobacco and Vapes Bill to UK Parliament, which will help us to achieve our ambitious target.

We are supporting the introduction of Low Emission Zones to improve air quality and protect public health.

We are also committed to supporting those living in fuel poverty or at risk of fuel poverty through installing insulation and heating measures into individual properties, known as the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme. Since the launch of the first Warmer Homes Scotland scheme in 2015, the scheme has invested around £289 million and helped over 39,000 households across Scotland to live in warmer, healthier homes which are more affordable to heat through both phases of the scheme.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-34303 by Jenni Minto on 18 February 2025, whether it will provide an update on its discussions with the UK Government (a) ministers and (b) officials regarding the provisions of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill that might impact on Scotland.

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

I met with the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention on 04 November 2024 to discuss the Tobacco and Vapes Bill where I reaffirmed my support for this historic piece of legislation and highlighted how it could positively impact health inequalities in Scotland.

The Bill’s subsequent re-introduction on 5 November 2024 followed close collaborative work across the four nations over the content of the Bill. Officials across the four nations continue meet regularly to discuss the Bill to ensure coherence and alignment of policies, where this is possible and appropriate.

The Bill will gradually increase the age of sale for tobacco products and provide powers to legislate on vape flavours, displays, packaging, as well introduce an advertising ban for vapes and nicotine products. This will create a generational change, meaning that children born after 1 January 2009 will never legally be able to buy tobacco. This landmark legislation will ban vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.

On 21 November 2024 a Legislative Consent Memorandum was introduced for consideration by the Scottish Parliament and I provided evidence to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on the Memorandum on 17 December 2024. I await the report from the Committee, and will then update Members and Committee on the next steps.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards its commitment in the Respiratory Care Action Plan to work with all relevant policy areas to ensure preventative measures are embedded in all aspects of respiratory care.

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

The Respiratory Care Action Plan contains broad commitments from a wide range of areas including increasing uptake of vaccines, ensuring people live in warm homes and improvement of air quality. We have made progress across a number of areas under these commitments, such as the Four Nations approach to tobacco.

Along with obesity, smoking represents a chief threat to Scotland's public health and we remain committed to a tobacco-free Scotland by 2034 and welcome the re-introduction of the UK-wide Tobacco and Vapes Bill to UK Parliament, which will help us to achieve our ambitious target.

The Bill will gradually increase the age of sale for tobacco products and provide powers to legislate on vape flavours, displays, packaging, as well introduce an advertising ban for vapes and nicotine products.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the reportedly growing issue of retailers selling nicotine products to children.

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

Scottish Ministers are concerned about the use of novel nicotine products such as nicotine pouches and, in particular, their appeal to children and young people.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, if passed, will introduce a range of restrictions – for example around age of sale and advertising- applicable to these products, taking on board concerns raised by members previously about novel products becoming more prevalent on the market and their appeal to children and young people.

The purchase of vaping products is already age restricted and it is illegal to sell to, or buy them for, anyone under the age of 18. Trading Officers are using every tool at their disposal - including fixed penalty notices - to ensure retailers are not selling vaping products to under 18s. Border Force and HMRC also have an important role to control the illicit vape trade and we continue to work with them on this.

We are currently the only nation in the UK with a functioning Tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Product Register. The Tobacco and Vaping Framework set out our intention to consider how the register could be improved. A refreshed digital product went live in January 2025. This will ensure that the register is a more effective and efficient tool for enforcement as well as for engagement with retailers on compliance with current and future legislation.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the current legislative framework is appropriate for tackling the reportedly growing issue of retailers selling nicotine products to children.

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

The purchase of vaping and tobacco products is age restricted. It is illegal to sell to, or buy them for, anyone under the age of 18.

Our Tobacco and Vaping Framework, launched in 2023, is our roadmap to 2034 and a tobacco free Scotland.

Our Framework is underpinned by a wide range of legislation including legislation to support the Register of Tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Product Retailers. We recently launched a new digital Register platform which will help to ensure accurate data and help Trading Standards with enforcement of current and future regulations.

A key strand of the first implementation plan of the Framework is the work that has taken place across the four nations on creating a smoke free generation and tackling youth vaping, which has led to the introduction of the UK-wide Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Measures within the Bill include the introduction of a wide definition of a nicotine product, which is designed to cover products currently on the market such as nicotine pouches, as well as any future nicotine products. If passed with the consent of the Scottish Parliament the Bill will make it an offence to sell all nicotine products to under 18’s, stopping the next generation from becoming addicted.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, if passed, will also expand both the register and enforcement powers to cover herbal smoking products and nicotine products.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported rise in youth vaping rates, including any targeted campaigns aimed at rural areas.

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

Within our 24/25 Programme for Government we committed to working across the four nations on banning the sale of single use vapes (SUV) as well as the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

SUV’s have been linked to a rapid increase in the number of young people vaping, particularly due to their low price. The SUV ban will be implemented from 1 June 2025 in line with the rest of the UK.

If passed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, will restrict the promotion, advertisement and brand sharing of vapes.

Our Scotland-wide ‘Take Hold’ marketing campaign educated parents, carers and children about the dangers of vaping and increased the awareness of the harms and risks of nicotine addiction. It also contained a school toolkit.

We continue to work with Young Scot to support young people to understand the risks of using tobacco and nicotine products, and raise awareness of available cessation services and avenues to support young people to stop smoking/vaping.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle public health issues in (a) general and (b) relation to (i) alcohol consumption, (ii) unhealthy diets and (iii) smoking, in light of recently published data from the Office for National Statistics, which reportedly found that Scotland has some of the lowest life expectancy rates in the UK.

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

The Scottish Government continues to adopt a comprehensive approach to address public health issues focusing on early prevention, reducing inequalities and creating the conditions to support people to lead healthier lifestyles.

This includes addressing the underlying drivers of heath inequalities by continuing to allocate around £3 billion a year in 2024-25 to a range of actions to tackle poverty and mitigate the impacts of the ongoing cost-of-living-crisis. This includes funding for free bus travel, the provision of early learning and childcare, as well as providing direct financial support through the likes of the Scottish Child Payment.

The Scottish Government has taken clear action to improve population health including continuing and increasing Minimum Unit Pricing of alcohol – estimated to have saved hundreds of lives - and delivery under our Tobacco and Vaping Framework including ongoing work on the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill to create a smokefree generation.

We are taking action to improve diet and increase physical activity. This includes ongoing work to consider restrictions on promotions of high fat, salt and sugar foods under our Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan, and promoting active lifestyles through our Physical Activity for Health Framework.

Furthermore, to address long term population health challenges work is ongoing to produce a Population Health Framework in partnership with COSLA and in collaboration with our wider partners. This will set out a whole system approach on population health seeking and key actions that seek to improve population health.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the introduction of a licensing scheme in Scotland for the sale of vaping products would help tackle youth access to, and illicit imports of, vaping products.

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

In line with Tobacco and Vaping Framework, work is underway to improve the technical infrastructure of the existing register of tobacco and nicotine vapour product retailers, which has been welcomed by stakeholders. We plan to continue to review the register going forward.

At this time the Scottish Government’s view is that introducing a licensing scheme would put undue pressure on local authorities and the retail sector.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, if passed, will expand Scotland’s existing registration scheme to include retailers selling herbal smoking products and nicotine products.

The purchase of vaping products is age restricted. It is illegal to sell to, or buy them for, anyone under the age of 18. In Scotland, local authorities already have powers to issue fixed penalty notices to retailers and individuals who commit offences related to the age of sale.

We work with the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland on enforcement of existing legislation, including around underage sales and illicit tobacco and vapes. We also work with HMRC and Border Force who undertake intelligence led action to tackle the import of illicit tobacco and vaping products at the border.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported issue that e-cigarette or vaping device use was most prevalent among those aged 16 to 24 (22%), an increase of seven percentage points since 2022.

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

Within our 2024-25 Programme for Government we committed to working across the four nations on banning the sale of single use vapes (SUV) as well as the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill. SUV’s have been linked to a rapid increase in the number of young people vaping, particularly due to their low price. The SUV ban will be implemented from 1 June 2025 in line with the rest of the UK. If passed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, will restrict the promotion, advertisement and brandsharing of vapes.

Our ‘Take Hold’ marketing campaign educates parents, carers and children about the dangers of vaping and increased the awareness of the harms and risks of nicotine addiction.

We continue to work with Young Scot to support young people to understand the risks of using tobacco and nicotine products, and raise awareness of available cessation services and avenues to support young people to stop smoking/vaping.

Our Tobacco and Vaping Framework recognises that price can be a critical factor in people’s decisions on starting to smoke and vape. The Scottish Government welcomes the UK Government’s commitment in the Autumn budget to introduce a duty on vapes from 2026 while ensuring the price differential between tobacco and vapes will be maintained.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the introduction of the UK Government Tobacco and Vapes Bill on 5 November 2024, what plans it has to introduce (a) a licensing scheme and (b) regulations regarding the sale of vaping products by retailers in Scotland, to tackle youth access and ensure that any poor-quality, illicit and illegal imports of vaping products can be restricted.  

Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

Scotland has a long-established and functioning register of tobacco and nicotine vapour product retailers. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, if passed, will expand Scotland’s existing registration scheme to include retailers selling herbal smoking products and nicotine products.

The Scottish Government’s view is that introducing a licensing system at this time would put undue pressure on local authorities and the retail sector. In line with our Tobacco and Vaping Framework, the technical infrastructure of the register is being improved, which has been welcomed by stakeholders.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, if passed, will ban the advertising, promotion and sponsorship of vapes including non-nicotine vapes and nicotine products that are currently not captured in a similar way to existing restrictions on the advertisement of tobacco products. The Bill, if passed, will also ban the free distribution, nominal pricing and substantial discounting of vapes to anyone of any age. This will ensure that retailers do not use this as an alternative way to promote their products.

The Bill, if passed, will also provide a number of powers to Scottish Ministers to regulate the display of vaping products and their prices, as well as the display of empty retail packaging or anything that represents the products, in retailers in Scotland. Further consultation will be undertaken before making regulations under this power.

Additionally the Bill, if passed, also provides powers for the Secretary of State to make regulations about the quality, safety and product standards to be met for production, sale or importation of vaping products, as well as their packaging, the features, and their flavours. These powers can only be exercised to make regulations containing devolved provision if the Secretary of State obtains the consent of the Scottish Ministers.

Found: Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 Legislative Consent Memorandums 2 Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 Legislative Consent Memorandums 2 Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Found: during Q4 2024 Bill title Date memorandum lodged Consent recommendation by Scottish Government Tobacco and Vapes Bill