Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will conduct a separate consultation into the intellectual property implications of standardised tobacco packaging and its potential effect on the Exchequer.

The Government is currently holding a United Kingdom-wide consultation on introducing regulations for standardised packaging of tobacco products, which was published on 26 June. The consultation will run for six weeks and conclude on 7 August and we are seeking any new and relevant information that may help in assessing the wider impact of standardised packaging, including any views on the potential impact on intellectual property. We would encourage anyone with an interest in standardised packaging to respond to the consultation, including responding with any information or evidence relevant to the intellectual property implications of standardised tobacco packaging and its potential effect on the Exchequer.