Key Facts

• Councillor David Fothergill is the deputy chair of the Local Government Association.
• Greg Fell is the president of the UK Association of Directors of Public Health.
• Local authorities need clarity on responsibilities, funding, and apprenticeship funds for trading standards officers.
• Trading standards in Sheffield regularly confiscates large quantities of illegal tobacco linked to organised crime.
• The fine size of £100 or £50 is deemed insufficient and needs review.
• Multi-local authority enforcement may be necessary due to the nature of organised crime networks.
• The current fine for selling tobacco to under-age individuals is £100, reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days.
• Cllr Fothergill supports moving vapes away from counters and restricting flavours to make them less accessible to children and younger people.
• Greg Fell suggests a licensing scheme for shisha bars due to the high tobacco consumption rate and potential lung damage.
• Greg Fell supports a complete ban on tobacco and vapes rather than raising the smoking age limit.
• Action on Smoking and Health has co-produced resource packs with local authorities, but these are insufficient by themselves.
• There is a risk of young people transitioning from vaping to smoking, as shown in a York schools survey where 42% of children think vaping is equally dangerous or more harmful than smoking.
• The Bill aims to set norms for tobacco and vape regulation.
• Some argue that excluding certain items might increase illicit trade, but this should not prevent proper funding and enforcement of trading standards.
• There is a concern about the unintended consequences of taking a tougher stance on vaping.
• Ailsa Rutter is the director of Fresh and Balance North East.
• In the north-east region since the turn of the millennium, 120,000 people have died from smoking.
• The regional programme has been running for 20 years and aims to drive down harms on both tobacco and alcohol.
• Cumbria has a smoking rate of about 12.3% at birth.
• About 3,500 hospital admissions, 74,000 GP appointments, and 80,000 sick days are caused by smoking-related illnesses in Cumbria annually.
• One in four beds in the north-east is occupied by someone with a smoking-related condition.
• Large retail sector represented by the British Retail Consortium is broadly supportive of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
• The Bill introduces £100 fixed penalty notices, restricted premises orders, and restricted sale orders as new enforcement powers.
• Trading standards need to ensure adequate notification to businesses about fines to prevent negative impacts on shop workers.
• The British Retail Consortium has been working closely with local authorities on the potential vape ban and age restrictions since they were announced.
• Adrian Simpson mentions concerns about education and enforcement of new regulations, including issues with changing point-of-sale systems and store layouts.
• There are challenges in distinguishing between customers who may be just above or below the legal age limit.
• Votes are expected in the Chamber from about 3.30 pm or 3.45 pm.
• The session might be cut short if votes start early, preventing later sessions.
• Colleagues need to be concise and efficient for the first 20 minutes of evidence gathering.
• The Bill provides enabling regulations to restrict vape product attractiveness to children.
• Illicit cigarette consumption has dropped from 17 billion in 2000 to between 2.5 and 3 billion currently.
• Trading standards collaborate with HMRC, Border Force, and other agencies on enforcement activities.
• The statement is about facilitating quick voting on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
• Gary Streeter calls for concise questions and answers from colleagues.
• Track-and-trace legislation on tobacco could potentially be applied to vapes.
• There is a consultation ongoing for vapes to become an excise product.
• The profession of trading standards has faced significant cuts in resources over the last decade.
• The Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to tackle supply and demand issues around vaping products.
• Trading standards needs additional resources to enforce the age restrictions outlined in the Bill.
• There is support for extending track-and-trace systems used for tobacco products to vapes.
• Laura Young is a PhD researcher in environmental science.
• The number of disposable vapes quadrupled from 2022 to 2023, reaching about 5 million per week in 2023.
• Disposable vapes pose risks to waste workers due to lithium batteries causing fires.
• Cigarette butts are the No. 1 item littered globally.
• The question raised by Mary Foy addresses the broader issue of disposable technology and its environmental impact.
• Gary Streeter acknowledges the relevance but notes it is not within the scope of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
• Further consideration is ordered to be adjourned.
• The session is scheduled to resume on Wednesday, 1 May, at twenty-five past Nine o'clock.