Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is staking to increase survival rates amongst lung cancer patients.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We know that some cancers disproportionately impact those living in deprived areas, notably lung cancer. The Lung Cancer Screening Programme is designed to identify cancer at an earlier stage and is aimed at high-risk individuals or people with a history of smoking between the ages of 55 to 74 years old. The National Health Service is currently rolling out the National Lung Cancer Screening Programme to people with a history of smoking.
Additionally, reducing inequalities is a key priority for the National Cancer Plan, which will look at the targeted improvements needed across different cancer types to reduce disparities in cancer survival. This includes looking at protected characteristics, such as ethnicity, as well as inequalities related to socioeconomic status, and geographic location.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate the Government has made of the prevalence of ketamine addiction among under 25s; what steps the Government is taking to address ketamine addiction among young people; and what tailored addiction support the Government is providing for young people.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department takes seriously the risk of ketamine and other drugs to our young people and is working with partners from across the Government to respond to existing and new drug threats and to reduce and prevent the health harms.
Ketamine use among children and young people has increased in recent years. According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, the prevalence of ketamine use among 16 to 24 year olds was 2.9% in 2023/24. This is an increase from 1.3% in 2018/19, but a decrease from 3.8% in 2022/23. Data from the Smoking, Drinking and Drugs 2023 survey shows that, although relatively low, the prevalence of ketamine use among school children doubled in the last decade, from 0.4% in 2014 to 0.9% in 2023. We also know that the proportion of young people aged under 18 years old who are in treatment for ketamine problems has increased from 1.3% in 2016/17, to 8.4% in 2023/24.
The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for evidence-based, high-quality treatment. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26, the Department is providing £310 million in additional targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol treatment services and recovery support in England, including for housing and employment.
Furthermore, on 16 October 2025, the Department launched a campaign to alert young people to the dangers of ketamine, as well as synthetic opioids in counterfeit medicines and adulterated THC vapes. Resources have been made available to schools, universities, and local public health teams with content available on FRANK, the Government’s drug information and advice website. Influencer content has been posted on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. The full press notice is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/young-people-given-stark-warning-on-deadly-risks-of-taking-drugs
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered (a) banning vaping in pubs, (b) banning 16 and 17 year olds from buying zero alcohol drinks in pubs and (c) raising the drink drive limit to support the economic viability of pubs.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade is not responsible for bans on vaping in pubs, restrictions on zero-alcohol drinks for 16–17-year-olds, or changes to drink-drive limits. These matters fall under the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department for Transport
DHSC advises that while vapes are less harmful than smoking, they are not risk-free and plans to consult on making most indoor settings vape-free. Many pubs already prohibit vaping voluntarily. In Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, the Government committed to explore prohibiting sales of no- and low-alcohol drinks to under-18s including prohibiting sales to individuals under the age of 18 years old. This policy is being pursued as these alcohol substitute drinks are intended for consumption by adults. DHSC Officials are scoping details and will update stakeholders in due course.
This Government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. In 2023 there were 1,624 people killed on GB roads. There were an estimated 260 people killed in collisions involving drink driving, accounting for 16% of total fatalities in 2023. Given the significant casualties caused by drink driving, we have no plans to increase the drink drive limit.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce a ban on (a) vaping and (b) smoking outside (i) pubs, (ii) restaurants and (iii) nightclubs.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill allows the Government to expand current indoor smoking restrictions to outdoor public places and workplaces via secondary legislation. The bill also gives the Government powers to make most public places and workplaces that are smoke-free also vape-free. Exactly which settings should become smoke-free and vape-free will be subject to a full consultation. However, we are not considering extending smoke-free or vape-free places to outdoor hospitality settings, such as outside pubs, restaurants, and nightclubs.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of tobacco excise in reducing smoking prevalence.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Tobacco duty aims to both raise revenue and reduce harm to public health by discouraging smoking. High duty rates, making tobacco less affordable, are a proven way to reduce smoking prevalence and have helped reduce the percentage of adult smokers in the UK from 26% in 2000 to 11.9% in 2023. As set out in the ONS survey on adult smoking habits 2023.
Adult smoking habits in the UK - Office for National Statistics
The commitment to a tobacco duty escalator which increases duty at RPI+2% inflation at each Budget was renewed at Autumn Budget 2024 until the end of the current Parliament. A Tax Information and Impact Note was published alongside the Budget setting out the impacts
Changes to tobacco duty rates from 30 October 2024 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of tobacco excise duty on smoking prevalence.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Tobacco duty aims to both raise revenue and reduce harm to public health by discouraging smoking. High duty rates, making tobacco less affordable, are a proven way to reduce smoking prevalence and have helped reduce the percentage of adult smokers in the UK from 26% in 2000 to 11.9% in 2023. As set out in the ONS survey on adult smoking habits 2023.
Adult smoking habits in the UK - Office for National Statistics
The commitment to a tobacco duty escalator which increases duty at RPI+2% inflation at each Budget was renewed at Autumn Budget 2024 until the end of the current Parliament. A Tax Information and Impact Note was published alongside the Budget setting out the impacts
Changes to tobacco duty rates from 30 October 2024 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill on the risk of vapers returning to traditional cigarettes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The health advice is clear that whilst vapes are less harmful than smoking and can be an effective quit aid for adult smokers, children and adult non-smokers should never vape. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has been carefully designed to get this balance right, ensuring we take definitive action to tackle youth vaping, whilst ensuring that vapes, alongside other forms of quit aids, remain accessible to adult smokers.
The Government has published a comprehensive impact assessment for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which includes the health benefits and the impact on people who vape currently. This assessment was reviewed in full by the Regulatory Policy Committee, which deemed it ‘fit for purpose’ in its published opinion on 5 November 2024.
Importantly, the bill introduces a progressive age of sale policy for tobacco, the smoke-free generation policy, and also includes policies that further restrict the sale and appeal of tobacco products. This will have a dissuasive effect on consumers considering tobacco products, which will mitigate any potential risks of people that vape returning to tobacco use.
Tobacco duty will also be increased alongside the upcoming vaping products duty to maintain the financial incentive to choose vaping over smoking.
To support current smokers to quit, we are providing £70 million of additional funding into local stop smoking services and delivering Tobacco Dependency Treatment through National Health Service inpatient and maternity services. These services provide access to a range of medicines, nicotine replacement therapies, and vapes, alongside behavioural support. Vapes are a popular quit aid among adult smokers and we have commissioned guidance from the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training to maximise their use and ensure practitioners are trained to deliver the best advice.
Our national public health marketing campaigns, such as Stoptober and our annual campaigns, motivate adults to quit smoking. Public health messaging will continue to educate smokers about smoking quit aids and will support the promotion of vapes as a means for adult smokers to quit smoking, as outlined on the Better Health and NHS websites.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what evidential basis his Department has assessed the public health implications of (a) the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and (b) encouraging the use of less harmful alternatives to tobacco.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The health advice is clear that whilst vapes are less harmful than smoking and can be an effective quit aid for adult smokers, children and adult non-smokers should never vape. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has been carefully designed to get this balance right, ensuring we take definitive action to tackle youth vaping, whilst ensuring that vapes, alongside other forms of quit aids, remain accessible to adult smokers.
The Government has published a comprehensive impact assessment for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which includes the health benefits and the impact on people who vape currently. This assessment was reviewed in full by the Regulatory Policy Committee, which deemed it ‘fit for purpose’ in its published opinion on 5 November 2024.
Importantly, the bill introduces a progressive age of sale policy for tobacco, the smoke-free generation policy, and also includes policies that further restrict the sale and appeal of tobacco products. This will have a dissuasive effect on consumers considering tobacco products, which will mitigate any potential risks of people that vape returning to tobacco use.
Tobacco duty will also be increased alongside the upcoming vaping products duty to maintain the financial incentive to choose vaping over smoking.
To support current smokers to quit, we are providing £70 million of additional funding into local stop smoking services and delivering Tobacco Dependency Treatment through National Health Service inpatient and maternity services. These services provide access to a range of medicines, nicotine replacement therapies, and vapes, alongside behavioural support. Vapes are a popular quit aid among adult smokers and we have commissioned guidance from the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training to maximise their use and ensure practitioners are trained to deliver the best advice.
Our national public health marketing campaigns, such as Stoptober and our annual campaigns, motivate adults to quit smoking. Public health messaging will continue to educate smokers about smoking quit aids and will support the promotion of vapes as a means for adult smokers to quit smoking, as outlined on the Better Health and NHS websites.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to educate consumers about less harmful alternatives to smoking.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The health advice is clear that whilst vapes are less harmful than smoking and can be an effective quit aid for adult smokers, children and adult non-smokers should never vape. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has been carefully designed to get this balance right, ensuring we take definitive action to tackle youth vaping, whilst ensuring that vapes, alongside other forms of quit aids, remain accessible to adult smokers.
The Government has published a comprehensive impact assessment for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which includes the health benefits and the impact on people who vape currently. This assessment was reviewed in full by the Regulatory Policy Committee, which deemed it ‘fit for purpose’ in its published opinion on 5 November 2024.
Importantly, the bill introduces a progressive age of sale policy for tobacco, the smoke-free generation policy, and also includes policies that further restrict the sale and appeal of tobacco products. This will have a dissuasive effect on consumers considering tobacco products, which will mitigate any potential risks of people that vape returning to tobacco use.
Tobacco duty will also be increased alongside the upcoming vaping products duty to maintain the financial incentive to choose vaping over smoking.
To support current smokers to quit, we are providing £70 million of additional funding into local stop smoking services and delivering Tobacco Dependency Treatment through National Health Service inpatient and maternity services. These services provide access to a range of medicines, nicotine replacement therapies, and vapes, alongside behavioural support. Vapes are a popular quit aid among adult smokers and we have commissioned guidance from the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training to maximise their use and ensure practitioners are trained to deliver the best advice.
Our national public health marketing campaigns, such as Stoptober and our annual campaigns, motivate adults to quit smoking. Public health messaging will continue to educate smokers about smoking quit aids and will support the promotion of vapes as a means for adult smokers to quit smoking, as outlined on the Better Health and NHS websites.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with his EU counterparts on the legality of the proposed generational smoking ban in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In preparation of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the Government has considered all its domestic and international obligations. The Government engages with the European Union and member states on a wide variety of issues, including matters relating to Northern Ireland. This engagement is confidential.