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Written question asked by Joe Robertson (Conservative) on Monday, 17 November 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 20 November 2025 (named day). It was answered by Dan Tomlinson (Labour) on Thursday, 20 November 2025 on behalf of the Treasury.

Electronic Cigarettes

Question

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the UK delegation attending the fourth Meeting of Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control plans to (a) oppose the extension of the scope of application of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products beyond tobacco products to electronic nicotine delivery services and (b) help ensure that proposed amendments of the Treaty follow the proper procedures.

Answer

The procedures for amending the World Health Organization Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products are laid down in Articles 38 and 39 of that treaty. These stipulate that any proposals need to be communicated to parties at least six months before the session at which they are proposed to be adopted.

As no such communication has been made in this case, if any proposals for extending the Treaty to electronic nicotine delivery services were to emerge, they would need to be considered at a future Meeting of Parties (MOP) rather than this MOP. The UK would always seek to ensure that any proposals to amend the Treaty follow the proper procedures.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
91793
Session
2024-26
Subjects
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Electronic cigarettes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk