Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a Vape Licensing Scheme.

The Government is concerned about the access of vapes to children, with a quarter of children aged between 11 and 15 years old having ever tried vaping in 2023, and acknowledges that a licensing scheme for the retail sale of vapes could help to strengthen enforcement and support legitimate businesses.

The Government will soon introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which stands to be the most significant public health intervention in a generation. The Bill will put us on track to a smoke-free United Kingdom, helping to reduce 80,000 preventable deaths each year, reduce the burden on the National Health Service and reduce the burden on the taxpayer.

We will set out more details soon.