Smoking Cessation: Prescription of E-cigarettes Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department of Health and Social Care
Matt Hancock
Main Page: Matt Hancock (Independent - West Suffolk)Department Debates - View all Matt Hancock's debates with the Department of Health and Social Care
Smoking Cessation: Prescription of E-cigarettes
Matt Hancock Excerpts(2 years, 5 months ago)
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Maggie Throup
My hon. Friend tempts me to say that he is a great role model. Perhaps he should try e-cigarettes and then probably try stopping smoking completely. He can put that message out across the Chamber about why levelling up is so important.
Matt Hancock (West Suffolk) (Con)
I welcome not only the Minister’s emphatic support for the cessation of smoking by 2030 as a target, but the cross-party support. We have seen in this short discussion today unanimous support for the use of e-cigarettes as a route out of smoking. The UK is one of the most advanced countries in the world in the proper evidence-led approach to the use of e-cigarettes. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is perfectly placed to herald that evidence and make sure the approach is evidence-based. Can she assure me that we will speed up the processes as much as possible? We must follow the evidence, but we must follow it rapidly.
Maggie Throup
I thank my right hon. Friend for the work he has done on this important issue. He is right that the MHRA’s expertise is recognised worldwide, so it is only right that it looks at it, and it provided clarification last week. As health disparities are so important, it is fantastic that we have cross-party support on the issue.