Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
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 support earlier identification of cardiovascular disease risk.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is taking forward a scheme of work to modernise the NHS Health Check programme, and to deliver on recommendations from the 2021 review of the programme. We are currently focused on the development and launch of a digital NHS Health Check, to be launched later this year, and rolled out nationally over the next four years. Following the launch of a digital check, the Department will consider the evidence for, and practicality of, expanding the scope of the NHS Health Check. This will include consideration of introducing a wider range of clinical checks, and considering a younger target age group.
Local authorities can design and deliver NHS Health Checks to suit the needs of their local population. This includes who provides the service, and in what settings it is delivered. In some areas, NHS Health Checks are already delivered in community and workplace settings. To build the evidence of the feasibility and impact of this approach, we are investing up to £10 million into a pilot, to deliver cardiovascular disease checks in workplace settings during 2024/25.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
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 26 January 2023 to Question 129765 on Electronic Cigarettes: Regulation, whether he has had discussions with Trading Standards Authorities on e-cigarette manufacturer Elf Bar overfilling e-cigarette devices.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Department was recently made aware of possible breaches of our vaping (e-cigarettes) regulations related to disposable vapes exceeding the restrictions on tank capacity. We are working closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to investigate the matter further and we have discussed this with Trading Standards Authorities.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
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 changes to the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 to increase penalties on manufacturers found to be in breach of those regulations.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
There are no current plans to increase the penalties beyond those set out in regulation 51 of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is investigating cases of manufacturers overfilling e-cigarette devices above the 2ml e-liquid volume limit; and what support his Department is offering to the (a) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and (b) Trading Standards Authority to help remove those products from the market.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
There are no plans to investigate cases of manufacturers over filling vape (e-cigarette) devices beyond the two millilitres e-liquid volume limit because this is the responsibility of local enforcement agencies. The Department continues to work with the Trading Standards Authorities to provide advice in enforcing the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, including matters relating to the two millilitres e-liquid limit. We also work closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency regarding the vaping notification system and helping disseminate information about notified vapes to support local enforcement.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 6 December 2022 from the Minister for Primary Care and Public Health to Topical Question 4, Official Report, column 202, what steps he plans to take to help reduce the prevalence of smoking in England; and how those plans will affect the use of (a) e-cigarettes, (b) heat-not-burn, (c) snus, and (d) other reduced risk products.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Smoking rates are the lowest on record, currently at 13%. These reductions have been achieved through investment in multi-modal interventions, a strong regulatory framework, effective quit campaigns and funding to local authority stop smoking services.
The most effective way to quit smoking is through behavioural support from stop smoking services, alongside a nicotine substituting product, such as a vape (e-cigarette). We recently published the Nicotine Vaping in England Report which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nicotine-vaping-in-england-2022-evidence-update
The Government encourages users to quit all forms of tobacco and therefore does not recommend the use of heated tobacco products. Snus is banned in the United Kingdom and we have no plans to introduce additional tobacco products to the market as we have safer nicotine delivery products currently available for smokers to switch to.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to implement Tobacco harm reduction strategies.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Government supports National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on smoking cessation and harm reduction. NICE recommend that smokers quit smoking in one go but have also published guidance for providers of stop smoking services to support smokers who wish to take a harm reduction approach. The guidance is available at the following link:
The Government has no current plans to implement further tobacco harm reduction strategies.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
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 3 November to Question 64287 on Tobacco, when he plans to publish the Tobacco Control Plan.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
We are still considering the recommendations made in ‘The Khan review: making smoking obsolete’ and further information will be available in due course.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward further regulations on nicotine pouches to ensure that they do not reach unintended audiences in the context of their growing popularity.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Department is currently considering the recommendations made in the ‘The Khan review: making smoking obsolete’. This includes proposals related to e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches and proposals to assist smokers to quit, such as through the introduction of pack inserts.
Our response to the review will be included in the forthcoming white paper on health disparities, which we plan to publish in summer 2022 and the Tobacco Control Plan, due to be published later this year.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing targeted messages to smokers on (a) e-cigarettes, (b) heat-not-burn products and (c) other reduced risk products through inserts in cigarette packs.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Department is currently considering the recommendations made in the ‘The Khan review: making smoking obsolete’. This includes proposals related to e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches and proposals to assist smokers to quit, such as through the introduction of pack inserts.
Our response to the review will be included in the forthcoming white paper on health disparities, which we plan to publish in summer 2022 and the Tobacco Control Plan, due to be published later this year.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the recommendations set out in the Independent Review on Tobacco Control.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Independent Review is due to be published shortly and we will consider its findings following publication. We will assess which recommendations will inform the forthcoming health disparities white paper and the new Tobacco Control Plan to be published later this year. This will include an assessment on any potential consultation.