Tobacco and Vapes Bill Committee update

Quick update on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which is currently at the committee stage in the House of Commons.

As I explained here, the Tobacco and Vapes Public Bill Committee met last Tuesday and took 'evidence' from a series of 'expert' witnesses, not one of whom opposed the Bill.

One or two were neutral but the overwhelming majority were enthusiastically in favour, rather like the Committee itself, most of whose members voted for the Bill at the second reading in November.

I was under the impression that further witnesses would be giving evidence at a subsequent sitting but I was wrong. Instead, on Thursday the Committee met again but this time to discuss and debate amendments.

This week, there are four sittings scheduled (two tomorrow, two on Thursday).

Frankly, the whole process is a bit of a farce, and extremely one-sided, but we knew that was going to be the case.

What I didn't anticipate is that someone would propose an amendment raising the age of sale of tobacco to 25 rather than 21, which many consider to be the preferred alternative to a generational ban:

This amendment makes it an offence to sell tobacco products, herbal smoking products and cigarette papers to a person under the age of 25, rather than to people born on or after 1 January 2009.

Intriguingly it appears to have been proposed by shadow public health minister Dr Caroline Johnson (Conservative), who voted for the Bill at second reading, with the somewhat grudgingly support (well, that’s my interpretation) of the two other Conservatives on the Committee, Jack Rankin and Sarah Bool.

Neither support a generational ban and neither seem particularly enthusiastic about raising the age of sale to 25, apart from it being better than a generational ban, so I’m a bit confused.

I doubt the amendment will be accepted by other members of the Committee, but is that now official Conservative policy – to raise the age of sale of tobacco to 25?

Our major worry is what happens when the Bill reaches the House of Lords because that's where a small cabal of anti-smoking peers could try to drive through other amendments that are even more restrictive in other areas, especially smoking in outdoor public places.

The odds are the Government will reject any substantial amendments to the Bill, but you never know. With a huge majority in the Commons it wouldn't be difficult for ministers to push amendments through, if minded to do so.

I won't spell out what the worst case scenario might be (I don't want to give anyone ideas!) but, as things stand, nothing is potentially off the table. Either way, I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile click here for an update of all Committee Debate sittings so far, and click here if you want to read Forest's written submission to the Committee.

Other written submissions can be accessed here. Forest's submission is not yet online but I imagine it will be uploaded sometime this week.