Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will await the outcome of the ongoing WTO trading dispute concerning Australia before making a final decision on standardised packaging of tobacco.

The Government has not yet made a final decision on whether to introduce standardised packaging for tobacco products. We held a United Kingdom-wide consultation on introducing regulations for standardised packaging of tobacco products, which ran from 26 June to 7 August. The consultation asked for new and relevant information that would help in assessing the wider impact of plain packaging.

We do not believe it is necessary to wait the outcomes of existing disputes and legal cases involving the Commonwealth of Australia before coming to a final decision.