Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to provide support for schools to place heat detectors on school premises to detect vaping.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance states that, in both primary and secondary school, pupils should be taught the facts regarding legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks, including smoking, alcohol use, and drug taking.
To support schools to deliver this content effectively, the Department published a suite of teacher training modules, including content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco, which makes specific reference to e-cigarettes.
In addition, content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco is taught in compulsory health education. This supplements drug education which is part of the national curriculum for science in Key Stages 2 and 3.
Schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that sets out what is expected of all pupils, including what items are banned from school premises. This should be communicated to all pupils, parents and school staff.
Schools have the autonomy to decide which items should be banned from their premises, and these can include vapes. Items banned by the school can be searched for as outlined in the Department’s Searching, screening and confiscation guidance, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/searching-screening-and-confiscation.
The Department believes that this will help head teachers to manage vaping on school premises and to inform pupils on the risks, with a view to reducing the numbers of pupils who are currently vaping, or who might be tempted to try it in the future.
The Department trusts head teachers to develop tailored behaviour policies which reflect their school’s individual contexts and needs and to decide the best methods to enforce these policies.
Officials in the Department have engaged with officials in the Department for Health and Social Care to discuss the use of e-cigarettes as part of health education which includes content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
The Department has brought forward the review of the RSHE statutory guidance, which commenced in March 2023 and on 1 June 2023, the Prime Minister announced an intervention taking steps to prevent pupils acquiring e-cigarettes illegally. As part of this, the Department is planning to include the risks of using e-cigarettes in the RSHE curriculum, following the RSHE review.
The Department expects to publish an amended draft of the statutory guidance for consultation in the autumn, with a view to a final version being published in 2024.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to encourage schools to (a) record and (b) monitor vaping by their pupils.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance states that, in both primary and secondary school, pupils should be taught the facts regarding legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks, including smoking, alcohol use, and drug taking.
To support schools to deliver this content effectively, the Department published a suite of teacher training modules, including content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco, which makes specific reference to e-cigarettes.
In addition, content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco is taught in compulsory health education. This supplements drug education which is part of the national curriculum for science in Key Stages 2 and 3.
Schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that sets out what is expected of all pupils, including what items are banned from school premises. This should be communicated to all pupils, parents and school staff.
Schools have the autonomy to decide which items should be banned from their premises, and these can include vapes. Items banned by the school can be searched for as outlined in the Department’s Searching, screening and confiscation guidance, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/searching-screening-and-confiscation.
The Department believes that this will help head teachers to manage vaping on school premises and to inform pupils on the risks, with a view to reducing the numbers of pupils who are currently vaping, or who might be tempted to try it in the future.
The Department trusts head teachers to develop tailored behaviour policies which reflect their school’s individual contexts and needs and to decide the best methods to enforce these policies.
Officials in the Department have engaged with officials in the Department for Health and Social Care to discuss the use of e-cigarettes as part of health education which includes content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
The Department has brought forward the review of the RSHE statutory guidance, which commenced in March 2023 and on 1 June 2023, the Prime Minister announced an intervention taking steps to prevent pupils acquiring e-cigarettes illegally. As part of this, the Department is planning to include the risks of using e-cigarettes in the RSHE curriculum, following the RSHE review.
The Department expects to publish an amended draft of the statutory guidance for consultation in the autumn, with a view to a final version being published in 2024.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help schools and colleges address vaping by their pupils.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance states that, in both primary and secondary school, pupils should be taught the facts regarding legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks, including smoking, alcohol use, and drug taking.
To support schools to deliver this content effectively, the Department published a suite of teacher training modules, including content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco, which makes specific reference to e-cigarettes.
In addition, content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco is taught in compulsory health education. This supplements drug education which is part of the national curriculum for science in Key Stages 2 and 3.
Schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that sets out what is expected of all pupils, including what items are banned from school premises. This should be communicated to all pupils, parents and school staff.
Schools have the autonomy to decide which items should be banned from their premises, and these can include vapes. Items banned by the school can be searched for as outlined in the Department’s Searching, screening and confiscation guidance, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/searching-screening-and-confiscation.
The Department believes that this will help head teachers to manage vaping on school premises and to inform pupils on the risks, with a view to reducing the numbers of pupils who are currently vaping, or who might be tempted to try it in the future.
The Department trusts head teachers to develop tailored behaviour policies which reflect their school’s individual contexts and needs and to decide the best methods to enforce these policies.
Officials in the Department have engaged with officials in the Department for Health and Social Care to discuss the use of e-cigarettes as part of health education which includes content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
The Department has brought forward the review of the RSHE statutory guidance, which commenced in March 2023 and on 1 June 2023, the Prime Minister announced an intervention taking steps to prevent pupils acquiring e-cigarettes illegally. As part of this, the Department is planning to include the risks of using e-cigarettes in the RSHE curriculum, following the RSHE review.
The Department expects to publish an amended draft of the statutory guidance for consultation in the autumn, with a view to a final version being published in 2024.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on vaping in schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance states that, in both primary and secondary school, pupils should be taught the facts regarding legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks, including smoking, alcohol use, and drug taking.
To support schools to deliver this content effectively, the Department published a suite of teacher training modules, including content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco, which makes specific reference to e-cigarettes.
In addition, content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco is taught in compulsory health education. This supplements drug education which is part of the national curriculum for science in Key Stages 2 and 3.
Schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that sets out what is expected of all pupils, including what items are banned from school premises. This should be communicated to all pupils, parents and school staff.
Schools have the autonomy to decide which items should be banned from their premises, and these can include vapes. Items banned by the school can be searched for as outlined in the Department’s Searching, screening and confiscation guidance, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/searching-screening-and-confiscation.
The Department believes that this will help head teachers to manage vaping on school premises and to inform pupils on the risks, with a view to reducing the numbers of pupils who are currently vaping, or who might be tempted to try it in the future.
The Department trusts head teachers to develop tailored behaviour policies which reflect their school’s individual contexts and needs and to decide the best methods to enforce these policies.
Officials in the Department have engaged with officials in the Department for Health and Social Care to discuss the use of e-cigarettes as part of health education which includes content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
The Department has brought forward the review of the RSHE statutory guidance, which commenced in March 2023 and on 1 June 2023, the Prime Minister announced an intervention taking steps to prevent pupils acquiring e-cigarettes illegally. As part of this, the Department is planning to include the risks of using e-cigarettes in the RSHE curriculum, following the RSHE review.
The Department expects to publish an amended draft of the statutory guidance for consultation in the autumn, with a view to a final version being published in 2024.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage education about vaping in schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance states that, in both primary and secondary school, pupils should be taught the facts regarding legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks, including smoking, alcohol use, and drug taking.
To support schools to deliver this content effectively, the Department published a suite of teacher training modules, including content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco, which makes specific reference to e-cigarettes.
In addition, content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco is taught in compulsory health education. This supplements drug education which is part of the national curriculum for science in Key Stages 2 and 3.
Schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that sets out what is expected of all pupils, including what items are banned from school premises. This should be communicated to all pupils, parents and school staff.
Schools have the autonomy to decide which items should be banned from their premises, and these can include vapes. Items banned by the school can be searched for as outlined in the Department’s Searching, screening and confiscation guidance, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/searching-screening-and-confiscation.
The Department believes that this will help head teachers to manage vaping on school premises and to inform pupils on the risks, with a view to reducing the numbers of pupils who are currently vaping, or who might be tempted to try it in the future.
The Department trusts head teachers to develop tailored behaviour policies which reflect their school’s individual contexts and needs and to decide the best methods to enforce these policies.
Officials in the Department have engaged with officials in the Department for Health and Social Care to discuss the use of e-cigarettes as part of health education which includes content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
The Department has brought forward the review of the RSHE statutory guidance, which commenced in March 2023 and on 1 June 2023, the Prime Minister announced an intervention taking steps to prevent pupils acquiring e-cigarettes illegally. As part of this, the Department is planning to include the risks of using e-cigarettes in the RSHE curriculum, following the RSHE review.
The Department expects to publish an amended draft of the statutory guidance for consultation in the autumn, with a view to a final version being published in 2024.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of plain packaging on levels of consumption of e-cigarettes.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
No formal assessment has been made.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) e-cigarettes, (b) heat-not-burn products and (c) other reduced-risk products to help reduce the prevalence of smoking.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Our assessment is that nicotine replacement therapy, such as gum and patches, as well as vapes, alongside behavioural support from stop smoking services, are the most effective ways to reduce smoking. This assessment is based on the ‘Nicotine vaping in England’ report published in September 2022, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline PH209, ‘Tobacco: preventing uptake, promoting quitting and treating dependence’ published in 2021.
The 2022 ‘Nicotine vaping in England’ report also includes a chapter on heated tobacco products. Although there is currently a limited evidence base on the health harms presented by heated tobacco products, it is clear that they do pose harm to users. The Government does not recommend use of these products and encourages users to quit.
There is limited research and evidence into the harms of nicotine pouches and their ability to support smoking quit attempts. However, in April this year the Committee on Toxicity published their ‘Statement on the bioavailability of nicotine from the use of oral nicotine pouches and assessment of the potential toxicological risk to users’, which is available at the following link:
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of underage vaping on children’s (a) concentration and (b) attainment at school.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that sets out what is expected of all pupils, including what items are banned from school premises.
Schools have the autonomy to decide which items should be banned from their premises, and these can include e-cigarettes or vapes. School staff can search pupils for banned items, as outlined in the Department’s ‘Searching, screening and confiscation at school’ guidance, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/searching-screening-and-confiscation.
The relationships and sex education and health education statutory guidance states that, in both primary and secondary school, pupils should be taught the facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks, including smoking, alcohol use, and drug-taking.
To support schools to deliver this content effectively, the Department has published a suite of teacher training modules, including one on drugs, alcohol and tobacco, which makes specific reference to e-cigarettes and vaping.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what positions his Department will put forward on e-cigarettes at the Tenth Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, COP10.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
There are no plans for Ministers to attend the Tenth Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP 10). The United Kingdom delegation will consist of officials from the Department’s as is usual practice.
The Government has regularly set out our position on vaping at the Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and will do so at the next conference in November 2023. The delegation will not agree to any decisions which would impact on our ability to make regulated vapes available for adult smokers who wish to quit smoking.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to banning the sale of flavoured vapes which may be attractive to children and young people.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government assessment is that youth vaping has increased. Over the past decade, the use of vapes by children has been consistently low. However, data collected in NHS Digital’s Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England survey showed that in 2021 9% of 11 to 15 year old children currently used e-cigarettes, up from 6% in 2018.
It is illegal to sell nicotine vapes to children and we are concerned about the recent rises in youth vaping, particularly because of the unknown long-term harms. To address this the government announced in April a call for evidence on youth vaping and £3 million of additional funding through the creation of an illicit vapes enforcement squad to tackle underage sales.
At the end of May the Prime Minister made a further announcement to close a loophole that allows industry from giving out free samples, increase education and to support the dedicated school police liaison officers to keep illegal vapes out of schools, and review both on the spot fines and underage sales for non-nicotine vapes.
Our youth vaping call for evidence closed on the 6 June. This call explored a range of issues and asked questions related to the appeal of vapes to children. We are analysing responses and the evidence to identify opportunities to reduce the number of children accessing and using vape products. This will include an assessment of the appeal of flavours. We will publish the response early this autumn to outline our next steps.