Asked by: Lord Palmer (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they notified the European Commission of the draft regulations for possible standardised packaging for tobacco products without waiting for the results of the recent consultation that closed on 7 August.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The consultation on introducing regulations for standardised packaging of tobacco ran between 26 June and 7 August 2014. All substantive responses were then considered before the regulations were notified in draft to the European Commission as technical standards under the procedures of Directive 98/34/EC. They were notified to the Commission on 29 August 2014.
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 Chantler Review's suggestion that there is a spillover effect, whereby the branding of consumer goods intended for adult consumption may also appeal to young people; and what assessment they have made of the implications for consumer goods other than tobacco that might be deemed to put children at risk.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Tobacco is treated uniquely in regulatory terms, because it is a uniquely harmful consumer good. All smoking is addictive and harmful to health. Around half of all regular smokers are eventually killed by a smoking-related illness, and on average, smokers who die from a smoking-related illness lose around 16 years of life. Smoking is the primary cause of preventable morbidity and premature death, accounting for almost 80,000 deaths in England each year, some 18% of all deaths of adults aged 35 and over.
Regulatory controls on tobacco are commensurate with the potential harm to the health of smokers and others that it can cause. Over the past decade in particular, tobacco has become increasingly regulated and controlled as further evidence about the harm to health from smoking has emerged. Tobacco, therefore, is subject to greater levels of regulation than other consumer products.
Asked by: Lord Palmer (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government from which companies and organisations, other than those involved in the tobacco industry, they have received representations since October 2013 regarding their plans to consider introducing standardised tobacco packaging.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The information cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
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 impact of introducing standardised tobacco packaging on the United Kingdom's ability to trade globally.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Government continues to carefully consider all issues relevant to the introduction of standardised packaging of tobacco products, including aspects related to trade.
The Government will shortly publish a final, short consultation that will contribute to final decision-making on whether standardised packaging will be introduced. The Government encourages anyone with an interest to respond to the consultation, which may include evidence on the impact of standardised packaging on trade.
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 Earl Howe on 6 May (WA 447), whether they will now place in the Library of the House correspondence received by the Department of Health regarding the proposed introduction of standardised tobacco packaging from all other government departments and agencies including police forces.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Government's position has not changed since the answer that has been referred to was provided.
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 Earl Howe on 6 May (WA 444), whether they will place in the Library of the House correspondence between the Intellectual Property Office and the Department of Health regarding the proposed introduction of standardised tobacco packaging.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Department has no current plans to publish information on the development and formulation of Government policy on standardised packaging of tobacco products
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 statement by Earl Howe on 3 April (HL Deb, col 1121–2), whether in preparing for the publication of the draft regulations on standardised packaging for tobacco products they are considering the scope of the types of tobacco products to be included, such as drawing a distinction between cigars and pipe tobaccos and mainstream tobacco products.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Government continues to carefully consider all issues relevant to the introduction of standardised packaging of tobacco products, including the scope of the types of tobacco products covered by the policy.
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 challenge made via the World Trade Organisation to the introduction of standardised tobacco packaging in Australia, in the light of their plans to consider introducing a similar regime in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Government is aware of the complaints made in respect of the Australian plain packaging legislation, within The World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute procedures. The Government continues to carefully consider all issues relevant to the introduction of standardised packaging of tobacco products, including all legal aspects.
In accordance with normal practice, the Government is not intending to disclose legal advice received.
Asked by: Lord Palmer (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to continue with the introduction of restrictions on the display of tobacco in smaller shops from April 2015, in the light of their plans to consider introducing standardised tobacco packaging; and, if so, what is their rationale for doing so.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Legislation to end the open display of tobacco products in shops has been made and will come into force for all shops on 6 April 2015.
Standardised packaging of tobacco products is a policy that is still under consideration by the Government. No final decisions have been made regarding the policy. The Government will be publishing a final, short consultation that will contribute to final decision-making.