Mr. MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the system of licensing for sale of tobacco products by retailers. [93111]
§ Ms BlearsThere is at present no system of licensing for retailers of tobacco products.
There is a Tobacco Enforcement Protocol (published in March 1998) aimed at assisting local authorities with regard to the enforcement legislation to prevent the sale of tobacco products to minors. The Department of Health has sponsored an initiative over the last year to improve the awareness and training of trading standards officers and enforcement officers of local authorities involved in this work. This has been done in co-operation with the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) and the Local Authority Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS).