The new Labour Government has confirmed it will introduce laws to ban smoking and clamp down on vaping in the King’s Speech today.
In his speech this morning, the King laid out the Government’s legislative agenda for the coming months including the bills it will introduce to Parliament.
The Government has committed to carrying forward the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which originated during Rishi Sunak’s time as Prime Minister.
Under the new legislation, the age at which people can buy cigarettes will progressively increase and there will be ‘limits’ on the sale and marketing of vapes.
The speech also revealed the Government’s plans to ‘legislate to restrict advertising of junk food’ to children as well as the sale of high caffeine energy drinks to children.
Mental health featured prominently in the health section of the speech, with a commitment to ‘modernise the Mental Health Act so it is fit for the twenty first century’.
The Government will also bring forward a draft bill to ‘ban conversion practices’.
Former prime minister Rishi Sunak announced his plans to phase out smoking in October last year, proposing to raise the smoking age by one year each year to prevent young people from ever taking up smoking.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill was then voted through by MPs in April, but still had a number of hurdles to pass by the time the general election was announced.
During the election, Labour committed to continuing with legislation to ban smoking for young people.
In the section on health policy, the King’s speech said that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Government will ‘improve the National Health Service as a service for all’ with care provided based on ‘need’ regardless of ‘ability to pay’.
The speech continued: ‘[The Government] will seek to reduce the waiting times, focus on prevention and improve mental health provision for young people.
‘It will ensure mental health is given the same attention and focus as physical health. My ministers will legislate to modernise the Mental Health Act so it is fit for the twenty first century [Mental Health Bill].
‘A Bill will be introduced to progressively increase the age at which people can buy cigarettes and impose limits on the sale and marketing of vapes [Tobacco and Vapes Bill].
‘My Ministers will also legislate to restrict advertising of junk food to children along with the sale of high caffeine energy drinks to children. A draft Bill will be brought forward to ban conversion practices [Draft Conversion Practices Bill].’
Responding to the King’s Speech, BMA council chair Professor Philip Banfield said the pledge to reduce waiting times will rely on ‘solving the ongoing disputes with both junior doctors and GPs’.
He continued: ‘We’re glad to see the Labour Government following through with the crackdown on vaping and smoking, as well as taking action on junk food marketing and resultant childhood obesity that has for too long been a can kicked down the road.
‘Changes to the mental health act are positive, but we have been promised parity for mental health before and must now see action.’
Earlier this week, the Liberal Democrats called for the Government to include a ‘new legal right’ to see a GP within a week in the King’s Speech.
