Parliament Matters

In the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Ulster Unionist Party’s Doug Beattie asked the Minister of Health for an update on the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Mike Nesbitt responded: “I am very supportive of the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill. I thank the Member for his question. As he will know, smoking is the number-one preventable cause of death, disability and ill health in the UK. In Northern Ireland, it kills 2,000 people every year.

“The Assembly agreed to Northern Ireland's inclusion in the previous Tobacco and Vapes Bill under the previous Government. That Bill fell due to the election in July. I hope that Members will continue their support for the new Bill, which is largely the same but with a few extra protections. I am hopeful that a legislative consent motion will be laid before the Assembly in a fortnight's time. Subject to the necessary approvals, the Department will focus, in the immediate term, on the introduction of that legislation, including the bringing forward of regulations under the powers in the Bill. It will then identify the remaining challenges, which will be the focus of a new tobacco control strategy for Northern Ireland.”

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is due to have its report stage and third reading on Wednesday 26 March. Amendments selected by the Speaker can be made to the Bill at Report Stage.

Strangford MP Jim Shannon asked the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care what estimate has been made of the number of under 16's who vape.

Ashley Dalton, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care, replied: “NHS England publishes estimates of the prevalence of vaping in children from the Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England Survey. The latest figures are from the 2023 survey, and showed that 5% of children aged between 11 and 15 years old were regular vapers, 4% vaped occasionally, and 25% had ever vaped.”

Last week, Wes Streeting announced that he was closing down NHS England.

South Holland and The Deepings’ John Hayes asked the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care how many illegal cigarettes and vapes have been seized from retail outlets in England in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Ashley Dalton told him: “HM Revenue and Customs, Border Force, and Trading Standards are responsible for detaining and seizing illicit tobacco and vapes, including at ports and in-land from retailers. Information about seizures of illicit tobacco and vapes is collated in reports published by HM Revenue and Customs and National Trading Standards.

“The latest figures show that 1.36 billion cigarettes, with a revenue value of £678.5 million, were seized by HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force in the United Kingdom in 2023/24, and 19.1 million cigarettes, worth £9.5 million, were seized by Trading Standards in England and Wales in 2023/24. 92.4 tonnes of hand-rolling tobacco, worth £41.9 million, was seized by HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force in the UK in 2023/24, and 5.2 tonnes of hand-rolling tobacco, worth over £2.3 million, was seized by Trading Standards in England and Wales in 2023/24.

“1.2 million illicit vapes, worth £13.2 million, were seized inland by Trading Standards in England in 2023/24, and 1.1 million illicit vapes, worth £12.4 million, were detained at ports by Trading Standards in England, in the first half of 2024/25.”

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

View Articles

Dave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.