Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government plans to (a) ratify the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and (b) deposit the instrument of ratification at the UN in New York.

The United Kingdom ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) on the 16 December 2004. The WHO FCTC adopted the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products on 12 November 2012. The Government is fully committed to the Protocol. It is current UK Government policy that international treaties will not be ratified until all the legislation required for implementation has been passed by Parliament. A Command Paper setting out the UK’s plans to ratify the World Health Organization Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products now needs to be laid before Parliament. Preparations, led by HM Revenue and Customs, are underway and they expect to proceed shortly.