Ban to stop children from ever smoking a cigarette to be introduced in Parliament
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A ban to stop children from legally smoking tobacco when they become adults is set to be introduced in Parliament.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which aims to create the “first smoke-free generation”, will prevent anyone born after 1 January 2009 from legally smoking by gradually raising the age at which tobacco can be bought,
It is hoped the “historic” legislation could “save thousands of lives and protect the NHS”, according to ministers, and is set to be introduced in the House of Commons on Tuesday.
Indoor smoking ban powers could also be extended to some outdoor spaces, with children’s playgrounds, and outside schools and hospitals being considered.
Indoor smoking bans may also be extended to some outdoor spaces (Alamy/PA) (PA)
The Bill will introduce restrictions on vape advertising and sponsorship, as well as restricting flavours, displays and the packaging of e-cigarettes to reduce their appeal to children and young people.
Disposable vapes will be banned from 1 June 2025 under separate environmental legislation.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: ”Unless we act to help people stay healthy, the rising tide of ill health in our society threatens to overwhelm and bankrupt our NHS. Prevention is better than cure.
“This Government is taking bold action to create the first smoke-free generation, clamp down on kids getting hooked on nicotine through vapes, and protect children and vulnerable people from the harms of secondhand smoke.
“This historic legislation will save thousands of lives and protect the NHS. By building a healthy society, we will also help to build a healthy economy, with fewer people off work sick.”
A similar Bill was tabled by the previous government, but it was shelved as a result of the General election being called.
The proposals were later revived by the Labour Government in July.
In August, reports suggested ministers were considering banning smoking in some outdoor areas, such as beer gardens and outside stadiums, to improve public health.
Disposable vapes are set to be banned from June 2025 under separate legislation (Nick Ansell/PA) (PA Wire)
However, last month The Guardian reported that Downing Street is now blocking the move.
According to the Department of Health and Social Care, the number of cancers caused by smoking has increased by 17 per cent since 2003.
Dr Ian Walker, executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, said: “Today is a significant step forward in the journey to creating a smoke-free UK.
“By increasing the age of sale of tobacco products and properly funding cessation services, the government can build a healthier future, prevent cancer, and protect people from a lifetime of deadly and costly addiction.
“We urge all MPs to prioritise the nation’s health by voting in favour of the Bill and ensuring that this historic legislation is implemented across the UK.”
Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, welcomed the introduction of the Bill.
He said: “This is a major piece of legislation which if passed will have a positive and lasting impact on the health of the nation.
“A smoke-free country would prevent disease, disability and premature deaths for children born today and for people long into the future.
“Smoking causes harm across the life course from stillbirths, asthma in children, cancers, strokes and heart attacks to premature dementia.”
Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive at Action on Smoking (Ash), described the Bill as a “world-leading piece of legislation”.
She added: “It opens up an important debate about smoking and how long we are prepared to tolerate the incredible harms it does to our society.
“Over the last 50 years smoking has taken more than eight million lives in the UK. The health community and the public support the Government in this historic effort to phase out the sale of tobacco.
“Smoking will not steal the health and wealth of future generations.”
How make-or-break Budget has fractured Keir Starmer’s cabinet
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Rachel Reeves’ Budget is a make-or-break moment for Sir Keir Starmer’s government, potentially sparking a decade of national renewal – or sowing the seeds of Labour’s downfall.
The prime minister’s poll ratings are at rock bottom after just over 100 days in charge, and the much-hyped “tough choices” to be unveiled on October 30 will likely do little to help boost his appeal.
As the driving force behind the financial statement, expected to entail £40bn worth of tax hikes and spending cuts, much of the backlash has and will focus on decisions taken by Ms Reeves.
Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are facing a backlash against planned Budget cuts (AFP via Getty Images)
But as the man with ultimate responsibility for the government’s actions, Sir Keir is also set to feel the heat.
So it has not helped the prime minister at all that, as Labour hurtles towards its biggest test since coming to power, splits in his cabinet over the Budget have taken over the headlines.
At least three of Sir Keir’s most senior ministers, including deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, have written to the PM to raise concerns over the “huge” cuts in store for their departments.
Joining Ms Rayner in expressing discomfort over the harsh spending cuts were justice secretary Shabana Mahmood and transport secretary Louise Haigh.
The ministers, who do not enjoy the spending protections of the health, defence and education departments, raised fears about the impacts of a reduction in spending on what they are able to deliver.
One of the ministers told The Times such a “huge” reduction in spending would undermine the government’s growth agenda and therefore be “totally self-defeating”.
But others have raised fears that, as well as restricting long-term investment, the cuts would have a damaging impact on their day-to-day work.
Angela Rayner is among those expressing alarm at the scale of planned cuts (Getty/Reuters)
Allies of the PM and chancellor said it was part of the process for ministers to try to squeeze as much funding as possible from the Treasury ahead of a Budget. But details of complaints from ministers being leaked, initially to Bloomberg, are only the latest public display of disunity in the PM’s top team. Some ministers are facing spending cuts of up to a fifth, which will pile pressure on already-stretched departments.
Asked about the potential cuts on Thursday, former Home Office special adviser and criminal justice commentator Danny Shaw said cuts of up to 20 per cent would be “devastating” to a department like the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and would “destroy the criminal justice system in many ways”.
It is not the first time Sir Keir Starmer has faced opposition from within his own party (PA Wire)
However sources in the MoJ dismissed suggestions the cuts would be as deep as 20 per cent.
Deep cuts would also affect the running of Ms Rayner’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Ms Haigh’s Department for Transport as both embark on radical overhauls. Ms Rayner’s department is at the heart of Labour’s mission to build 1.5m homes before the next General election, while Ms Haigh is overseeing the renationalisation of the railways.
The scale of the proposed cuts should come as little surprise to ministers, with the first three months of Labour’s term having been spent warning about the dire state of the public finances.
And whatever the substance of the ministers’ complaints, the writing, and subsequent leaking, of their letters to Sir Keir undermines the idea his top team is unified.
While the PM and chancellor are not facing an outright rebellion ahead of their first Budget in charge, they clearly have work to do convincing everyone of its merits.
UK politics live: No 10 rejects new accusations over Taylor Swift ticket and police escort row
Downing Street has rejected suggestions that Sir Keir Starmer received free Taylor Swift tickets as a “thank you” after she was given taxpayer-funded police security while performing in London.
No 10 would not say whether the prime minister was confident that perceptions of a conflict of interest had been avoided but insisted “operational decisions” were “ultimately” up to Scotland Yard and not the government.
Last week it emerged that London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper were involved in talks around the security for Swift‘s sell-out summer shows at Wembley before the singer was granted a blue-light escort.
The Sun reported that she was given the motorbike convoy on the way to the stadium despite initial police reservations, with her mother Andrea Swift also negotiating arrangements directly with Number 10 aide Sue Gray.
Asked on Tuesday whether it was the prime minister’s view that there was no perception of a conflict of interest, his official spokesman said: “Operational decisions are for the Met (Metropolitan Police). That’s the bottom line.”
Downing Street cited the terror threat faced by Swift in Vienna, which had forced her to cancel gigs on the Austria leg of her Eras tour, as one of the reasons the government was involved in security talks round her London shows.
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Back then, the British Army had around 40,000 soldiers but was rapidly increased to fight the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars.
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Piling pressure on Labour to revive his plans, Lord Cameron said that before the General election he was “working up” sanctions on Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gevir as a way of putting “pressure on Netanyahu“ to act within international law.
Mr Smotrich was recently criticised for appearing to suggest it might be “just and moral” to withhold food aid from Gaza, while Mr Ben-Gvir has backed the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Voters don’t believe Boris Johnson’s most controversial claims in new book, poll finds
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Mr Johnson was found to have lied to parliament over “Partygate” late-night bashes in Downing Street while the rest of the country was under Covid restrictions.
And since the release of his new book Unleashed key passages have been disputed.
