Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2023 to Question 197002 on Tobacco: support for stop smoking services, whether he plans to expand the scope of the swap to stop scheme to include licensed (a) nicotine replacement therapies and (b) stop smoking medicines.

There are no current plans to expand the Swap to Stop programme to include nicotine replacement therapies or stop smoking medicines, as they are already routinely provided by local Stop Smoking Services.

The Swap to Stop programme has been developed to provide smokers with more choice by providing the option of accessing free vapes to support quit attempts, in addition to the existing offer. This programme includes expert support provided by local Stop Smoking Services.

Stop Smoking Services continue to enable smokers to access a combination of behavioural support from a trained advisor as well as medicines and medicinally licensed nicotine replacement therapy for up to 12 weeks.