Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has set a target for reducing the number of deaths due to smoking-related conditions in the lifetime of this Parliament.

The Government has not set a target for reducing the number of deaths due to smoking related conditions. Last year we published ‘Towards a smoke-free generation: a Tobacco Control Plan for England’, which committed the Government to achieve a smoke-free generation. Over the course of this Parliament the Government aims to reduce smoking prevalence from:

- 15.5% to 12% amongst adults;

- 10.7% to 6% amongst pregnant women; and

- 8% to 3% amongst 15-year olds who regularly smoke.

The Government also aims to reduce the inequality gap in smoking prevalence between those in routine and manual occupations and the general population.

Death rates due to smoking have been falling since 2006 and evidence suggests that quitting smoking will improve one’s life expectancy, even if quitting happens later in life.