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Written question asked by Ruth Jones (Labour) on Monday, 19 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 26 January 2026 (named day). It was answered by Ashley Dalton (Labour) on Monday, 26 January 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Electronic Cigarettes: Registration and Testing

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of whether Trading Standards services currently have sufficient a) staffing, b) technical capability, and c) funding to enforce the new i) registration and ii) testing regime for vaping products proposed in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill from the point of commencement.

Answer

In 2025/26, we are investing £30 million of new funding for enforcement agencies, including Trading Standards, Border Force, and HM Revenue and Customs, to tackle the illicit and underage sale of tobacco and vapes and help enforce the law. As part of this, the Government is investing £10 million of new funding in 2025/26 in Trading Standards. This funding is being used to boost the Trading Standards workforce by hiring 94 new apprentices across England. This will build a workforce tailored to our requirements and increase Trading Standards’ capacity to enforce the new measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Once established, the new product registration system will support enforcement agencies, giving Trading Standards better information to help them remove non-compliant products from the shelves quickly and efficiently. This will also give retailers greater confidence that the products they stock and sell are lawful.

We launched a call for evidence in October 2025 which sought further detail on the existing product notification schemes and where registration could go further than current requirements, including testing requirements and fees. The call for evidence closed on 3 December 2025, and we are in the process of analysing the responses. We will consult on policy proposals based on the evidence provided in due course.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
106586
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Staff Finance Registration Testing Trading standards Electronic cigarettes
Legislation
Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024-26
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk