Asked by: Robert Syms (Conservative - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with police forces on the level of enforcement of legislation on smoking in vehicles with children present; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Discussions are ongoing between Departmental officials and the relevant authorities about enforcement action. Guidance on the enforcement process has been sent to police forces and, as with other smokefree legislation, we expect high levels of compliance with this change.
Asked by: Robert Syms (Conservative - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will postpone the start date for the introduction of standardised packaging on tobacco products in order to undertake an assessment of the implications of the post-implementation review of a similar measure in Australia on his policies in this area.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The Government has no current plans to postpone the introduction of standardised packaging of tobacco products. The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 come into force on 20 May 2016. Standardised packaging is an important public health measure and any delay in implementing the policy would also delay the health benefits from accruing. The Government continues to consider relevant information and evidence on standardised packaging, including the Post-Implementation Review of Tobacco Plain Packaging published by the Australian Government last month.
Asked by: Robert Syms (Conservative - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential reduction in revenue to the public purse resulting from the EU Tobacco Products Directive.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The Department assesses the impact of all proposed measures before laying legislation using standard government methodology. These assessments are set out in Impact Assessments which are scrutinised by the Regulatory Policy Committee before publication alongside the Statutory Instrument. Impact Assessments include a thorough analysis of the costs, benefits and risks associated with policy options.
A number of the tobacco measures contain commitments to further review the impact of the legislation within five years of them coming into force.
Asked by: Robert Syms (Conservative - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cumulative loss in revenue to HM Treasury has been as a result of the effect of tobacco control measures over the last 10 years.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The Department assesses the impact of all proposed measures before laying legislation using standard government methodology. These assessments are set out in Impact Assessments which are scrutinised by the Regulatory Policy Committee before publication alongside the Statutory Instrument. Impact Assessments include a thorough analysis of the costs, benefits and risks associated with policy options.
A number of the tobacco measures contain commitments to further review the impact of the legislation within five years of them coming into force.