Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
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 level of resources required by the MHRA to implement the new registration and testing regime for vaping products established under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has yet been made as the registration scheme is still in the early stages of policy development. On 8 October 2025, we published a call for evidence on a number of topics related to tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including the proposal to introduce a new product registration scheme.
However, given the nature of vaping products, which are not healthcare products, officials from the Department and the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) are considering whether OPSS would be better placed to oversee the future register. The Department and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will continue to be responsible for the current notification systems until further notice.
Powers in the bill will allow us to charge a fee for the ongoing and continuous registration of products. Exact details on fees, as well as the future registration scheme, will be subject to future consultation.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the forthcoming testing regime for vaping products will require imported liquids to undergo the same emissions and ingredient analysis as UK-made liquids before being placed on the UK market.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill allow us to establish a new product registration scheme for tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products, including testing requirements.
On 8 October 2025, we published a call for evidence on a number of topics related to tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products, including the proposal to introduce a new product registration scheme. The evidence gathered will inform development of policy and a subsequent consultation next year.
Any new testing requirements introduced following consultation will apply to products produced in the United Kingdom and those imported into the UK.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will publish a timetable for introducing product-verification checks under the new vape registration scheme, in order to assist Trading Standards in identifying non-compliant high-capacity devices at point of sale.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill allow us to establish a new product registration scheme for tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products. On 8 October 2025, we published a call for evidence on a number of topics related to tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products. This includes the proposal to introduce a new product registration scheme.
In the call for evidence, we are seeking information on how best to implement the registration scheme. The evidence gathered will inform development of policy and a subsequent consultation next year.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance he plans to issue to local Trading Standards teams on identifying high-capacity non-compliant disposable vapes under the powers created by the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has been illegal for businesses to sell or supply single-use vapes since 1 June 2025. The Government is investing £10 million of new funding in Trading Standards in 2025/26, to support the enforcement of illicit and underage tobacco and vape sales. As part of this package, we have provided training to over 760 Trading Standards officers on the single-use vapes ban, ensuring they have a strong understanding of the regulations and are confident in enforcing them.
Through this programme, we are also funding the Vaping Expert Panel, which provides guidance to Trading Standards officers on vaping products to support the consistent enforcement of regulations. The panel has published 20 pieces of guidance, and Trading Standards officers are able to contact the panel if they would like further clarification or advice.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the potential equality impacts of the PATHWAYS puberty blocker trial.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The government is committed to supporting research that delivers robust, evidence-based understanding of gender incongruence issues, especially for children and young people.
The PATHWAYS trial research protocol has rightly undergone a thorough independent review and has received all regulatory and ethical approvals.
The published protocol sets out how the researchers will collect relevant demographic information, including sex at birth, ethnicity, and country of birth.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Iranian counterpart on the recent detention of Baha’i, Aminollah Koushkbaghi; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to ensure his release.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to question 67802 on 6 August 2025, and add that we are aware of the reported case concerning Aminollah Koushkbaghi, and are monitoring the situation for Baha'is more widely.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects to complete his review of stakeholder feedback submitted in April 2025 on the Part IX re-categorisation process for Waves 1 to 4, and when updates will be shared with the Drug Tariff Committee and Forum members.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The final draft, version 1.2, of the Part IX Drug Tariff (Med Tech in the community) wave one categorisation was developed in collaboration with an Expert Reference Group and updated in line with stakeholder feedback over four iterations. The final version was published in October 2025, and can be found on the NHS Business Services Authority Website at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/manufacturers-and-suppliers/drug-tariff-part-ix-information
The Department is currently recruiting Independent Assessment Panels (IAPs) for wave one and has agreed to ask them to review late feedback received from a company on the eye drops category. This is due to take place in February 2026.
This will not require further input from industry as it has already been circulated for comment by them. The Department has offered to review Drug Tariff Committee feedback regarding the categorisation of medical devices that fall into waves two to four.
The categorisation for waves two and three is currently being reviewed, and the Department expects to share the updated versions in early 2026, well in advance of the projected launch of waves two and three in 2027 and 2028 respectively. There are no confirmed plans for reviewing wave four at this time. The earliest launch would be in January 2029. All dates are subject to the outcome of the review of wave one.
The Department recognises that the categorisation is not stagnant and may need further amendments as medical devices continue to evolve. Companies can suggest further amendments when they apply to Part IX of the Drug Tariff or through the Drug Tariff Committee.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to update the Wave 1 Part IX categorisation published by the NHS Business Services Authority: and what mechanisms are in place for the Drug Tariff Committee and suppliers to provide input into revisions.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The final draft, version 1.2, of the Part IX Drug Tariff (Med Tech in the community) wave one categorisation was developed in collaboration with an Expert Reference Group and updated in line with stakeholder feedback over four iterations. The final version was published in October 2025, and can be found on the NHS Business Services Authority Website at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/manufacturers-and-suppliers/drug-tariff-part-ix-information
The Department is currently recruiting Independent Assessment Panels (IAPs) for wave one and has agreed to ask them to review late feedback received from a company on the eye drops category. This is due to take place in February 2026.
This will not require further input from industry as it has already been circulated for comment by them. The Department has offered to review Drug Tariff Committee feedback regarding the categorisation of medical devices that fall into waves two to four.
The categorisation for waves two and three is currently being reviewed, and the Department expects to share the updated versions in early 2026, well in advance of the projected launch of waves two and three in 2027 and 2028 respectively. There are no confirmed plans for reviewing wave four at this time. The earliest launch would be in January 2029. All dates are subject to the outcome of the review of wave one.
The Department recognises that the categorisation is not stagnant and may need further amendments as medical devices continue to evolve. Companies can suggest further amendments when they apply to Part IX of the Drug Tariff or through the Drug Tariff Committee.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs review of cannabis-based products for medicinal use is expected to be completed and published.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Cannabis-based products for medicinal use (‘CBPMs’) were placed in Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 in 2018, making them available for prescribing.
The Government has commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (‘ACMD’) to review the evidence on CBPMs and assess whether the legislative change in 2018 has had the desired effect and whether there have been any unintended consequences.
The ACMD is an independent scientific advisory body and determines its own procedures. However, the three-year Ministerial commission for 2025 – 2028 flagged the CBPM commission as a priority.
The Government will consider the advice carefully before deciding what action to take. The response will be published on gov.uk.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking with the Department of Health and Social Care to reduce the number of people discharged from NHS care into homelessness.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In January 2024, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department of Health and Social Care published Discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, guidance to help staff plan safe discharges and prevent homelessness after NHS care.
We will look closely at the issue of people being discharged from NHS care into homelessness in our cross-government Homelessness Strategy.