Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of the Prime Minister's announcement on a smokefree generation on 4 October 2023 on tobacco duties received by the Treasury.

As announced by the Prime Minister on 4 October 2023, the Government is creating the first smokefree generation, by bringing forward legislation so that children turning 14 this year or younger will never be legally sold tobacco products. This will prevent future generations from ever taking up smoking, as there is no safe age to smoke. The command paper sets out the proposed actions the Government will take to tackle smoking and youth vaping and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stopping-the-start-our-new-plan-to-create-a-smokefree-generation#:~:text=This%20publication%20sets%20out%20proposed,ensure%20the%20law%20is%20enforced

The Government launched a consultation on 12 October on the smokefree generation policy detailed in the command paper, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/creating-a-smokefree-generation-and-tackling-youth-vaping#:~:text=Consultation%20description,ensure%20the%20law%20is%20enforced.

Once final policy decisions are confirmed, the impact of those decisions on the public finances will be assessed and reflected in the Office for Budget Responsibility's forecast.

A smokefree generation will save the NHS billions over the long-term and put cash back in the pockets of millions of families across this country.