Question to the Attorney General:

To ask His Majesty's Government what advice the Attorney General provided about the proportionality and applicability to Northern Ireland under World Trade Organization rules of the generational smoking ban in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, and the likelihood of a legal challenge at the World Trade Organization.

The Law Officers sit on the Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee. As part of the process of approving a government Bill for introduction, as set out in the published Guide to Making Legislation, a legal issues memorandum is prepared for this Committee. This will set out all relevant legal issues.

Whether the Law Officers have been asked to provide advice outside of the PBL process is covered by the Law Officers’ Convention. This Convention provides that whether or not the Law Officers have been asked to provide advice, and the contents of any such advice, is not disclosed outside Government.