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 20 October 2025 to Question 78182 on Retail Trade: Planning Permission, whether the proposing licensing regime for the retail sale of vaping products will regulate the (a) number and (b) cumulative impact of vaping shops that are permitted to operate in a locality.

On 8 October 2025, we launched a Call for Evidence to gather views on a range of topics related to tobacco, vapes, and nicotine products, including the implementation of the proposed licensing scheme for the retail sale of these products. The Call for Evidence asks detailed questions, including on factors that should be taken into consideration when making decisions on the granting of a premises licence, such as the location and density of retailers. We welcome feedback on the questions in the Call for Evidence.

The evidence gathered will be used to inform the development of the licensing scheme, and we will launch a subsequent consultation on our policy proposals before bringing forward secondary legislation. The Call for Evidence is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/tobacco-and-vapes-evidence-to-support-legislation/tobacco-and-vapes-evidence-to-support-legislation