Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Sale of Tobacco (Licensing)

09 November 2022 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Bob Blackman Con Harrow East

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Bob Blackman raised concerns about sale of tobacco (licensing) in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • Moves a Bill to license retailers selling tobacco and related goods to address current regulatory gaps.
  • Smoking kills around 78,000 people annually in England, compared to alcohol causing about 7,000 deaths.
  • Javed Khan OBE recommends a national retail licensing scheme with financial penalties and public health criteria.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Bob Blackman Con Harrow East

Moves a Bill to make provision about the sale by retail of tobacco and related goods, emphasising the need to rectify the lack of licensing for retailers selling tobacco. The current situation is compared to alcohol regulation, where retailers must possess a licence. Smoking kills around 78,000 people in England annually, while alcohol was directly responsible for approximately 7,000 deaths. Two-thirds of those who try just one cigarette go on to become addicted daily smokers. Javed Khan OBE recommends a retail licensing scheme rolled out nationally by local authorities with heavy financial penalties and public health criteria attached.

Other contributors (1)
  • Bob Blackman Con Harrow East

    Proposes that retailers must possess a licence to sell tobacco, which is currently not the case despite cigarettes being more harmful than alcohol. The licensing system would include mandatory age verification and public health criteria such as prohibiting sales near schools and requiring less harmful alternatives. Support for this measure comes from local retailers, with over eight in 10 supporting it.

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