Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the ban on single use vapes on the prevalence of vaping in schools.

The sale of vapes to under 18s is illegal, and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban the sale of all consumer nicotine products to anyone under 18.

Schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that sets out what is expected of all pupils, including what items are banned from school premises. The department supports head teachers in taking proportionate and measured steps to ensure good behaviour in schools.

To support schools to do so, the 'Behaviour in schools' guidance supports schools to develop a behaviour policy that will encourage good behaviour and set out the sanctions that will be imposed for misbehaviour, including vaping anywhere in school.

Schools have the autonomy to decide which items should be banned from their premises, and these can include e-cigarettes or vapes. School staff can search pupils for banned items as outlined in the department’s Searching, Screening and Confiscation guidance.