Parliament Matters

Opposition Whip and Shadow Paymaster General Richard Holden asked the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the lower price point of very high puff-count vapes on youth vaping.

Parliamentary Under-Secretary Ashley Dalton responded: “The Department has not made a direct assessment of the potential impact of the lower price point of high puff-count vapes on youth vaping. 

“However,” she continued, “it is incredibly worrying that 25% of 11- to 15-year-olds have tried vaping, as of 2023. To address this, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban the advertising of vaping and nicotine products, as well as sponsorship agreements which promote them. It also provides powers to limit flavours, packaging, and displays, and provides powers that allow the Government to regulate the tank sizes and refill containers, and the amount of liquid that can be included. The Government intends to consult on these issues soon after Royal Assent.”

Grim stuff.

Dalton carried on: “The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs is introducing a ban on single-use vapes, which is defined as a vape that is neither refillable nor rechargeable, and if it has a coil, the coil must be replaceable. This will capture most ‘big puff’ vapes currently on the market.

“Alongside this, and to discourage non-smokers and young people from taking up vaping, the Government will be introducing the Vaping Products Duty, which will come into force from 1 October 2026. The duty will be set at a single flat rate of £2.20 per 10 millilitre on all vaping liquid.”

What’s the betting that we carry a story on how vapers are stockpiling bottles of juice prior to the price rise?

Next up, Portsmouth North’s Amanda Martin asked the Secretary of State what steps are being taken to help tackle the sale of illegal vapes in Portsmouth.

Now, given this information is well known and in the public domain, you have to wonder what has been occupying Martin for the last few months?

Dalton told her: “The Government is investing £10 million of new funding into Trading Standards for 2025/26, to support the enforcement of illicit and underage tobacco and vape sales in England, and the implementation of the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.”

Maybe Martin should read Planet of the Vapes News, as we’ve been reporting this for the last 6 months.

She continued: “The Trading Standards South East region, which includes Portsmouth, has been allocated funding for new apprentices to boost workforce capacity, alongside further funding for the storage and recycling of seized illicit vapes. The new funding will also support other activity, including additional work to identify and seize illicit vapes consignments at ports, and training for Trading Standards officers on the new single use vapes ban.”

Finally, Erewash’s Adam Thompson asked the Secretary of State whether the Department plans to make e-cigarettes available on prescription for smoking cessation.

Ashley Dalton responded: “The Government is committed to delivering on its ambition for a smoke-free United Kingdom and is supporting smokers to quit through a range of services. This includes an additional £70 million investment in 2025/26 for local Stop Smoking Services in England. We are also working to ensure all National Health Service hospitals offer ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation services.

“Vapes, also known as e-cigarettes, can be an effective quit tool for adult smokers, particularly when combined with behavioural support. Currently, all vapes supplied to the UK are done so through the consumer market, as there is no medicinally licensed vaping product. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is ready to support a future medicinally licensed vaping product if the industry comes forward with a successful candidate. The MHRA continues to provide technical and scientific advice to companies interested in developing medicinal vapes.”

Planet of the Vapes News has followed the lack of a medical vape for many years. Previous Conservative governments were informed that the process to achieve such a product is too long winded and expensive. If the Department of Health wants to see a prescribable vape, the solution lies within its hands.

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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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.