Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the traceability system for tobacco products is independent from tobacco industry influence.

Details of meetings between HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the tobacco industry are published on GOV.UK. These include discussions on points of detail on the track and trace system. All meetings with the tobacco industry are conducted in line with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, in particular in accordance with Article 5.3. HMRC has no plans to publish minutes of these meetings as they may contain taxpayer or commercially sensitive information.

The implementing legislation for the tobacco track and trace system specifies strict and comprehensive criteria for independence from the tobacco industry. The service provider of the track and trace system needs to demonstrate to HMRC that they satisfy the independence criteria both before and during the period they provide the service. HMRC has processes in place to ensure these criteria are met.