Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons the paragraphs entitled (a) Inputting evidence to the development of the next tobacco control plan and (b) Undertaking activity to support effective communication of new regulations under the revised Tobacco Products Directive and the introduction of plain standardised packaging were removed from the draft 2016-17 grant agreement between his Department and Action on Smoking and Health.

The two deliverables were removed as they were complete. It was agreed that activity would focus on addressing inequalities in smoking rates experienced by many disadvantaged groups in society and supporting local and national stakeholders to implement the tobacco control plan commitments.