Asked by: Ben Bradley (Conservative - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department had with interested parties at the WHO FCTC 2030 tobacco control and taxation workshop in Panama on 26-27 January 2023.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Officials did not attend the tobacco control and taxation workshop in Panama in January 2023.
Asked by: Ben Bradley (Conservative - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which officials were present at the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control 2030 tobacco control and taxation workshop in Panama on 26-27 January 2023.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Officials did not attend the tobacco control and taxation workshop in Panama in January 2023.
Asked by: Ben Bradley (Conservative - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with which countries officials in his Department have been liaising in preparation for the Tenth Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Officials from the Department meet with officials from other countries on a wide range of tobacco control issues, including those related to the Tenth Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in November. For example, most recently, Departmental officials have met with counterparts from Australia and Canada.
Asked by: Ben Bradley (Conservative - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to improve smokers’ awareness of reduced risk products other than vapes and e-cigarettes.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Government is taking a range of actions to improve smokers’ awareness of evidence-based alternatives to smoking. Evidence shows that nicotine replacement therapy along with behavioural support from a stop smoking service is the most effective way for a smoker to quit. The Government will continue to monitor evidence on other reduced risk products and their effectiveness in supporting quit attempts.
Asked by: Ben Bradley (Conservative - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken at the Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to lead that Conference's efforts to encourage smokers to switch to less harmful alternatives.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Government encourages adult smokers to switch to vapes as they are substantially less harmful than smoking. They can help adult smokers to quit, particularly when combined with additional support from local stop smoking services. They are an important tool in our ambition to be Smokefree by 2030.
The Government has regularly set out our position on vaping at the Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and will do so at the next conference in November 2023. The delegation will not agree to any decisions which would impact on our ability to make vapes available for smokers who wish to quit.
Asked by: Ben Bradley (Conservative - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Retained EU Law Bill, whether he plans to (a) repeal, (b) reform and (c) retain the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Walthamstow on 8 December 2022 to Question 105306.
Asked by: Ben Bradley (Conservative - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will provide funding to fully cover the additional costs of (a) changing the social care charging regime and (b) increasing the number of people eligible for local authority care.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have listened to the concerns of local government and have taken the difficult decision to delay the planned adult social care charging reforms from October 2023 to October 2025. The funding intended for implementation will be retained in local authority budgets to meet current pressures.
Asked by: Ben Bradley (Conservative - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to delay the charging reforms for social care in order to help Local Authorities to manage the costs and pressures of care delivery.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have listened to the concerns of local government and have taken the difficult decision to delay the planned adult social care charging reforms from October 2023 to October 2025. The funding intended for implementation will be retained in local authority budgets to meet current pressures.
Asked by: Ben Bradley (Conservative - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the 2022 Global Tobacco Regulators Forum will take place.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Sixth meeting of the Global Tobacco Regulators Forum took place virtually from the 14 to 17 June 2022.
Asked by: Ben Bradley (Conservative - Mansfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press notice by his Department entitled Government delays restrictions on multibuy deals and advertising on TV and online, published on 14 May 2022, what steps his Department is taking to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the implementation date for the introduction of TV and online restrictions for paid advertising of foods high in fat, salt and sugar.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
We will provide further information on how the delay to the legislation will be implemented in due course.