Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to receive Royal Assent.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has completed its Second Reading in the House of Lords, and Committee Stage will take place as soon as parliamentary time allows. We expect the bill to complete its passage within this parliamentary session.

The Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 prohibits the advertisement and sponsorship of tobacco products. It is the Government’s position that heated tobacco advertising is already prohibited under this legislation. To ensure clarity on the scope of legislation and to ensure it covers all current and future tobacco products, we are updating the definition of a “tobacco product” to include the wording “or consumed in any other way”. As currently drafted, the bill will bring this into force two months after Royal Assent.