Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role of Action on Smoking and Health in providing the secretariat to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health, and in particular whether such activities are designed to influence (1) Parliament, Government or political parties, or (2) legislative or regulatory action.

The Department has made no assessment of the role of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) in providing the secretariat to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health.

The conditions applicable to grants awarded to ASH for work to support tobacco control are set out in the grant award letters. The Department has made clear that none of this funding is to be used for activities designed to influence Parliament, Government or political parties or to influence legislative or regulatory action. ASH’s compliance with the conditions of the grant is assessed at grant monitoring meetings as well as in the final full year grant monitoring and governance reports.