Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken by (a) his Department, (b) the Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and (c) Public Health England to encourage research into the use of e-cigarettes.

The Department is working closely with Public Health England (PHE) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to encourage research into the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and monitor the emerging evidence.

PHE’s next updated evidence report on e-cigarettes is expected to be published before the end of the 2017. In addition to the publication of an evidence review, PHE have partnered with Cancer Research UK and the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies to develop a forum that brings together policy makers, researchers, practitioners and the non-governmental organisation representatives to discuss the emerging evidence, identify research priorities and generate ideas for new research projects, thereby enhancing collaboration between forum participants.

The MHRA will continue to undertake market surveillance of e-cigarettes as part of their role as the Competent Authority, feeding back any intelligence to the Department and PHE.