The Scottish government has agreed to collaborate with Westminster on tough new measures to control vaping.
New laws such as the Tobacco and Vapes bill would normally be controlled at Holyrood in Edinburgh.
But Scottish officials have agreed to allow Whitehall departments in London to include Scotland in this and other upcoming Westminster bills. Ministers at Holyrood will then give the measures legislative consent.
Kate Forbes, Scotland’s deputy first minister, said her government welcomed the new approach of working in unison following Labour’s election win. It follows years of repeated confrontations between the Scottish National party government and the Conservatives at Westminster.
Stricter control on vapes
Last week the new UK Government led by Sir Keir Starmer set out plans for a generational smoking ban and stricter controls on vapes and other nicotine products in its legislative agenda for the year.
The Tobacco and Vapes bill was included in the King's Speech, a Westminster tradition where the King - Charles III - reads a speech prepared by the Government which sets out its legislative agenda for the year.
The new bill progressively increases the age at which people can buy tobacco so that future generations will never legally be able to do so. It prevents anyone born after January 1 2009 from legally smoking by gradually raising the age at which tobacco can be bought.
The bill also includes new powers for UK Ministers to regulate the flavour, packaging and display of safer nicotine products like vapes or nicotine pouches.
The proposals came initially from the previous Conservative Government under Rishi Sunak. However, when Sunak called a snap general election in May, the plans were shelved due to insufficient Parliamentary time to complete the legislative process.
Labour campaigned on a manifesto which promised to bring back the Bill, and the now Health Secretary Wes Streeting has previously threatened to “come down like a ton of bricks on the vaping industry.”
The New Nicotine Alliance, a consumer group in the UK, wrote to the new Government earlier this month, asking the government to consider the benefits that safer nicotine products have for adults.
‘We promised change’
UK government sources in the Scotland Office said Whitehall civil servants had approached their counterparts in Edinburgh last week to seek prior agreement on several bills, including Tobacco and Vapes, being unveiled in the king’s speech.
“We promised change,” Ian Murray, the new Scotland secretary, said. “This king’s speech demonstrates we are rolling up our sleeves and delivering that change.”
