Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department plans to conduct its consultation on the potential effect of standardised packaging of tobacco on the small retail sector; and if he will make a statement.

The Government has not yet made a final decision on whether to introduce standardised packaging for tobacco products. We held a United Kingdom-wide consultation on introducing regulations for standardised packaging of tobacco products, which ran from 26 June to 7 August. The consultation asked for new and relevant information that would help in assessing the wider impact of plain packaging, including economic and other considerations.

The consultation included draft regulations so it is clear how requirements for standardised packaging would work in practice. Alongside the consultation, we have also published an updated consultation-stage Impact Assessment. The consultation asked respondents for further evidence or information which would improve the assumptions or estimates made in the Impact Assessment.

The Government does not intend to run any further consultations with regard to standardised packaging.