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** 14 July 2020
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** UK
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** Boris Johnson plans radical shake-up of NHS in bid to regain more direct control (#1)
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** Government to consider legislating over cigarette butt litter (#2)
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** Bradford smoking rates fall again – but remain above the national average (#3)
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** International
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** Ireland: Tobacco giant’s menthol ban substitutes take 5% share of the Irish market (#4)
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** Lords debate: Business and Planning Bill (#5)
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** Parliamentary questions (#6)
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** UK
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**
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** Boris Johnson is planning a radical and politically risky reorganisation of the NHS amid government frustration at the health service’s chief executive, Simon Stevens; it has been revealed. The prime minister has set up a task force to devise plans for how ministers can regain much of the direct control over the NHS they lost in 2012 under a shake-up masterminded by Andrew Lansley, the then coalition government health secretary.

The prime minister’s health and social care task force is drawing up proposals that would restrict NHS England’s operational independence and the freedom Stevens has to run the service. In the summer, the task force will present Johnson with a set of detailed options to achieve those goals, and that will be followed by a parliamentary bill to enact the proposals, it is understood.

A source with knowledge of the plans, said: “The options put forward to the prime minister will be about how the government can curb the powers of NHS England and increase the health secretary’s ‘powers of direction’ over it so that he doesn’t have to try to persuade Simon Stevens to do something. [The health secretary] Matt Hancock is frustrated [by] how limited his powers are and wants to get some of that back.”

Johnson’s health advisor Will Warr is understood to be on the taskforce though Dominic Cummings is not. The taskforce will be chaired by a senior civil servant from the Department of Health and Social Care. Its remit also includes delivery on a number of the NHS promises the prime minister made during last year’s election campaign.

Downing Street declined to discuss the task force or its plans for NHS reform. A spokesperson said: “This is pure speculation. As has been the case throughout the pandemic, our focus is on protecting the public, controlling the spread of the virus, and saving lives.”
NHS England declined to comment.

Source: The Guardian, 10 July 2020

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** Environment Minister Rebecca Pow has warned the tobacco industry to “step up” and play its part in tackling cigarette butt litter, or the government will consider legislating to force the industry to address the issue. Speaking at the Tidy Britain All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) last week (8 July), Rebecca Pow Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), expressed her “frustration” at the tobacco industry’s lack of action on tackling cigarette litter.

Pow urged the industry to act on its commitments made to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee in 2015, which called for any additional revenue generated by raising tobacco levies to go to fund the clean-up of cigarette litter, or the government would force the industry to act.

Several speakers at the APPG raised the idea of bringing cigarette butts into the scope of an extended producer responsibility (EPR) regime that would make the tobacco industry responsible for the costs of cigarette butt clean-up. The EU’s Single-Use Plastic Directive will mandate this across the EU, but this will not be applicable in the UK at the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020 unless the UK legislates for it separately.

Kevin Hollinrake MP and Chair of the Tidy Britain APPG said: “Cigarette litter is the number one littered item in the UK and yet the tobacco industry contributes virtually nothing to litter prevention, despite reports suggesting they make around £1 billion in profit each year. Therefore, I am delighted that the government has put the tobacco industry on notice and that unless it meets its obligations, it will bring forward legislation to force it to. MPs from all parties have asked for action, so I am pleased that the minister has today responded to these concerns and set out a clear path to do this. We will now follow this up with firm policy proposals to Defra, the tobacco industry and the select committee.’

Source: Resource, 13 July 2020
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Read Article ([link removed])


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** Smoking rates have fallen for the third successive year in Bradford – but remain above the national average. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates 16.5% of adults in Bradford smoked in 2019, down from 18.5 in 2018. Smoking rates have fallen in the area every year since 2016 when 22.2% of those aged 18 and over smoked.

Across the UK, the proportion of smokers has fallen every year since 2011, reaching a record low of 14.1% in 2019. Across England, the rate now stands at 13.9% – the lowest of all four countries in the UK. But public health charity ASH said there are “enormous differences” across the country when it comes to smoking rates. For example, in Corby, in the East Midlands, 27.5% of adults were smokers in 2019, compared to just 3.4% in Hart, in the South East.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH, said: “The year-on-year decline in the proportion of people smoking has continued, so only one in seven people now smoke, the lowest ever recorded. But that means there are 6.9 million smokers, and smoking remains the leading cause of premature death in the UK, killing nearly 100,000 people a year, with 30 times as many living with serious smoking-related diseases. We’ve still got a long way to go before this country is truly smoke-free.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said England’s smoking rate of 13.9% is one of the best in Europe but is still short of the Government’s 2017 Tobacco control plan of 12% or less. She added: “The UK is recognised internationally for its tough regulatory approach on tobacco control and reducing smoking harms. However, we are not complacent, and our ambition is for England to become a smoke-free society by 2030.”

Source: Telegraph and Argus, 14 July 2020

See also: Smoking habits in the UK and its constituent countries ([link removed] )

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** International
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** Sales data shows that the four replacement brands introduced by Japan Tobacco International (JTI) following May’s prohibition on menthol cigarettes had taken up more than 5% of the Irish market by the middle of June.

The brands are among those being scrutinised as part of an investigation into the industry by the Health Service Executive (HSE), which is examining whether these products breach the ban on menthol cigarettes, introduced across the European Union and the UK on 20 May.

The HSE has said it is “currently investigating these complaints and related matters” and intends to liaise with the European Commission. Former minister for health Simon Harris previously warned that he believed some companies were “undermining” the ban.

Source: The Irish Times, 13 July 2020
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** Parliamentary Activity
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**
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** During a House of Lords debate yesterday, (13 July), Baroness Northover, proposed an amendment of the Business and Panning Bill co-sponsored by Lord Young, Lord Faulkner and Baroness Finlay, stating that “pavement licences may only be granted by a local authority subject to the condition that smoking is prohibited.”

Baroness Northover said “… We all want to get the hospitality sector moving again. I remind noble Lords that over 85% of people do not smoke. There is a public health issue here, but there is also the issue of making pubs and restaurants appealing ​to the vast majority of people.

“….. Amendment 18 specifies that pavement licences may only be granted by a local authority subject to the condition that smoking is prohibited in such spaces. It is a simple and straightforward proposition. We all worked together, across all parties and none, on banning smoking in public places. That was transformative for public health, for the prevention of illness through second-hand smoke, for those working in these environments, and for the benefit of families and pregnant women.

“… Under this Bill, the footprint of pubs and restaurants will, as I said, extend outside. If such an extension, for which there are good reasons, is to be granted, then these newly defined public places must also be smoke free for all the same public health and other reasons that the interiors of pubs and restaurants are smoke free.”

Lord Young of Cookahm said: “…One of the principal reasons for the Health Act 2006, which banned smoking in pubs, was to protect employees from the health risks of passive smoking, as well as from the irritation and smell of the smoke. Under the Bill, employees of pubs will have to deliver drinks and collect glasses from the pavements, and they should be entitled to continue to work in a smoke-free atmosphere, as set out in the Health Act 2006.

“…. When Parliament considered banning smoking in pubs, it rejected the policy of leaving it to local discretion. It was to be a clear, national public health policy, and so should this be. As the noble Baroness said, the Local Government Association does not want local discretion. Doing that would blunt the public health message and lead to uncertainty among customers. From the industry’s point of view, it is right that there should be a level playing field.”

Lord Faulkner of Worcester said: “… This is the latest step on the journey to the smoke-free country which Ministers say they want to achieve by 2030. … As the noble Baroness, Lady Northover, has said, this amendment enjoys significant public support. Particularly striking is the evidence from Greater Manchester. Over 70% of its population said that they wanted the areas immediately outside public buildings to be smoke-free environments. As she said, all 10 local authorities in the area support this amendment.
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Baroness Finlay of Llandaff said: “….This amendment, to which I have added my name, supports hospitality venues to reopen, maintains consistent messaging to decrease smoking and encourages people to enjoy going out and socialising, with mental health benefits.

“This amendment supports our public health gain on decreasing tobacco smoke exposure, which must not be abandoned now; it would be irresponsible to throw it away. I urge all noble Lords to think about what they will throw away if they do not support the simple measure proposed in this amendment.”

Source: Hansard, 13 July 2020
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Read Transcript ([link removed] )


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**
PQ1: Smoking

Asked by Helen Hayes, Dulwich and West Norwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's consultation entitled Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s, what steps he is taking to ensure (a) Lambeth, (b) Southwark, (c) London and (d) England are smoke-free by 2030.

Answered by Jo Churchill MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care

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** Local authorities are responsible for providing stop smoking services and are working towards the commitments in the current Tobacco Control Plan for England 2017-2022. Public Health England (PHE) provides tools such as the online Local Tobacco Control Profiles that allows users to compare local authorities in the region and benchmark local authorities against the England or regional average. The tool is available at the following link: [link removed]
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Current smoking rates for 18-year olds and older in 2018 indicate Lambeth at 12.4%, Southwark 14.5%, London region 13.9% and England 14.4%.
PHE and other organisations, including the Greater London Authority and NHS England, are supporting a London-wide tobacco alliance to meet the smoking reduction aspirations in ‘A Health and Care Vision for London’. The aim is for London to become the first smoke free capital city before 2030. More information is available on the Healthy London Partnership website at the following link: [link removed]
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The Government remains committed to its vision of smokefree 2030. We intend to publish the Government response to the Prevention Green Paper, ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’ in due course and key steps and ambitions to deliver Smokefree 2030 after this.

Source: Hansard, 13 July 2020
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** [link removed]
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**

PQ2: Smoking – Young people

Asked by Helen Hayes, Dulwich and West Norwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish his Department's response to the potential funding options for programmes to reduce smoking uptake amongst young people in the Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s consultation, which closed on 14 October 2019.

Answered by Jo Churchill MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care

Reducing youth smoking rates is a key part of the current Tobacco Control Plan 2017-2022 for England which aims to see the smoking rate in 15-year olds reduced to 3% or less by the end of 2022. Youth smoking rates are continuing to decline. In 2018, 5.3% of 15-year olds were regular smokers. 2% of 11-15-year-olds were regular smokers, and 16% had ever smoked.

The Government remains committed to its vision of smokefree 2030. We intend to publish the Government response to the Prevention Green Paper, ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’ in due course and key steps and ambitions to deliver smokefree 2030 after this.

Source: Hansard, 13 July 2020
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** [link removed]
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** PQ3: Smoking – Public Health

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** Asked by Bob Blackman, Harrow East
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** To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent from the public purse on campaigns to promote the cessation of smoking in (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2019-20.
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** Answered by Jo Churchill MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
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**
Expenditure on smoking cessation promotion by Public Health England for the periods of 2018-19 and 2019-20 are as follows:
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** 2018-19: £2.16 million
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** 2019-20: £1.78 million
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** The figures reference expenditure for advertising on television, radio, national press, regional press, out of home (outdoor), cinema, social and digital advertising.
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** All figures rounded to the nearest £10,000 and do not include VAT.
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** Recruitment advertising and media partnerships are not included. Paid search is not included.
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** Source: Hansard, 13 July 2020
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** [link removed]
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.

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