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 help ensure small convenience stores adhere to strict age verification standards for the sale of e-cigarettes; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the enforcement measures as a deterrent.
The Government provides central funding to local authorities in support of local trading standards activity. It is for local authorities to decide how this funding is allocated across local services, including how to combat the underage sale of e-cigarettes. The Department also commissions the Chartered Trading Standards Institute to publish annual tobacco control surveys on trading standards activities. The Department provides advice for small businesses on compliance with age of sale requirements via the Business Companion website.
We believe that the current enforcement measures are proportionate. However, we will continue to monitor the evidence regarding underage or illegal sales.