Asked by: Lord Palmer (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 5 February (HL13025), who are the experts on tobacco control whom they consulted about proposed changes to tobacco packaging.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The Department has consulted with a range of experts in tobacco control, including Professor David Hammond of the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo, Canada; Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society; and Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health. None of the experts consulted have links to the tobacco industry.
Asked by: Lord Palmer (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have commissioned advice from any company, organisation or individual about the proposed changes to tobacco product packaging in the event of a no-deal Brexit; if so, which company, organisation or individual they commissioned such advice from; what was the cost of any such advice; and whether they will place a copy of any such advice in the Library of the House.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
Over the last year, and at no cost, the Department has consulted with a range of experts in tobacco control, none of whom have any connections with the tobacco industry. The Department has also consulted with the Health Ministries of other countries that have world leading tobacco control programmes.
The external advice provided to the Department has been part of the formulation of Government policy and therefore, we have no plans to publish the advice at this current time.
Asked by: Lord Palmer (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many tattoos have been removed at a cost to the NHS in England; and what is the total cost of such removals since 2009.
Answered by Baroness Manzoor
It is possible that tattoo removal procedures could be classified to a number of ‘skin excision’ codes within the OPCS-4 Classification. These procedures codes would be assigned for any type of skin excisions, for example, the removal of benign and malignant neoplasm. It is not possible to separately identify data specific to tattoo removal procedures.
Asked by: Lord Palmer (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that all Government health campaign messaging is comprehensive, particularly in regard to dental health.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Public Health England’s (PHE) health campaigns are developed with expert guidance from the relevant PHE teams to ensure messaging is comprehensive and evidence-based.
Change4Life is PHE’s flagship social marketing campaign, inspiring families to eat well and move more. Dental health content is included in the campaign and has been developed with guidance from PHE’s Diet and Obesity and Dental Public Health teams. The Top tips for teeth dental toolkit includes materials to help support dental professionals in their engagement with parents. The toolkit focuses on delivering three key messages to parents: cut down on sugar; brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste; and visit the dentist regularly. The toolkit is available for National Health Service dental practices to order.
The Start4Life Information Service for Parents email programme also encourages pregnant women to take up free dental care and advises expectant and new parents on caring for the oral health of their babies and young children.
In addition, NHS England has launched Starting Well: A Smile4Life Initiative. This programme of dental practice-based initiatives aims to reduce oral health inequalities and improve oral health in children under the age of five years. The programme has been launched in 13 high priority areas chosen on the basis of decay experience at a local authority area level, existing oral health improvement plans and trends in oral health.
Asked by: Lord Palmer (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the contract for the provision of tobacco control legislation enforcement – national support for local authorities, between the Department of Health and ITSA Ltd, ended or will end; how it will be evaluated; whether they intend to extend or re-tender that contract; and if so, what is the timeframe.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The current contract for the provision of support to local authorities in the enforcement of tobacco control legislation will end in September 2018. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute, who hold the contract, provide regular updates to the Department on agreed milestones and deliverables and will submit a final report at the end of the contract to aid the Department in its evaluation. No decision has yet been taken on any future agreement to support local authorities in tobacco control.
Asked by: Lord Palmer (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which countries the UK will be supporting as part of its international support for smoking control; and when that work will start in each country.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) Secretariat held an application process to select 15 low to middle income countries to receive support to develop their tobacco control plans.
The FCTC Secretariat will inform successful applicants by the end of March 2017, and publish the results on their website. The project will commence work with those selected countries in year two of the project.
Asked by: Lord Palmer (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish a full evidence base, including any supporting research, for each measure contained in their forthcoming tobacco control strategy.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
We have a long track record in this country of implementing tobacco control measures which are supported by a strong evidence base, and the new tobacco control plan will build on this approach. As part of our development of the tobacco control plan, stakeholders were invited to give views during the initial stages. This included representatives of the independent retail sector. We will continue to consult with our stakeholders before introducing any new tobacco control measures.
Asked by: Lord Palmer (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, and how, they will ensure that the views of the independent retail sector will be taken into account when putting together their forthcoming tobacco control strategy.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
We have a long track record in this country of implementing tobacco control measures which are supported by a strong evidence base, and the new tobacco control plan will build on this approach. As part of our development of the tobacco control plan, stakeholders were invited to give views during the initial stages. This included representatives of the independent retail sector. We will continue to consult with our stakeholders before introducing any new tobacco control measures.
Asked by: Lord Palmer (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the decisions of the seventh session of the Conference of Parties to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in regard to non-nicotine delivery systems.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The United Kingdom is a world leader in tobacco control and is well advanced in the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). In the Autumn Statement, the Government announced legislation to require the licensing of tobacco manufacturing equipment which also takes the UK a further step forward towards ratifying the FCTC’s Illicit Trade Protocol.
In November, the seventh Conference of the Parties considered a report on e-cigarettes by the World Health Organisation and concluded that further monitoring of market developments, emerging research, development of emission testing methodology and regulatory response is required, but that Parties should be invited to regulate these products “as appropriate to their national laws and public health objectives.” The Government has already introduced a regulatory framework for these products in the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 and The Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015. The implementation and effect of these regulations will be monitored and the Government will examine all opportunities to maximise the health benefits of these products for smokers whilst minimising their uptake by children and non-smokers.
The Government will also shortly publish a new Plan which will set out a framework for future action on tobacco control.
Asked by: Lord Palmer (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they intend to take following publication of the decisions from the seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention of Tobacco Control.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The United Kingdom is a world leader in tobacco control and is well advanced in the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). In the Autumn Statement, the Government announced legislation to require the licensing of tobacco manufacturing equipment which also takes the UK a further step forward towards ratifying the FCTC’s Illicit Trade Protocol.
In November, the seventh Conference of the Parties considered a report on e-cigarettes by the World Health Organisation and concluded that further monitoring of market developments, emerging research, development of emission testing methodology and regulatory response is required, but that Parties should be invited to regulate these products “as appropriate to their national laws and public health objectives.” The Government has already introduced a regulatory framework for these products in the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 and The Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015. The implementation and effect of these regulations will be monitored and the Government will examine all opportunities to maximise the health benefits of these products for smokers whilst minimising their uptake by children and non-smokers.
The Government will also shortly publish a new Plan which will set out a framework for future action on tobacco control.