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Two councils in England represented by Tory ministers have received money under the government’s flagship “levelling-up” fund despite being among the least deprived fifth of local authorities nationwide. The health secretary Sajid Javid’s constituency of Bromsgrove got £14.5m and Central Bedfordshire, culture secretary Nadine Dorries' constituency, received £26.7m despite both being among the country's least deprived areas. Lewes council, which is represented by the Conservative MP Maria Caulfield, received the ninth-largest per capita award despite being among the least deprived 40% of local authorities.
Just under half of the 65 English local authorities that will benefit from funding announced in last week’s budget are among the country’s most deprived fifth. According to analysis by The Guardian, although more Labour councils than Conservative-controlled ones received funding in this first tranche, Tory councils did better per capita at £93 per head of population compared with £65 per head for Labour councils. Councils with no overall control received £102 per head while the two Liberal Democrat areas announced thus far, Eastbourne and Hinckley and Bosworth, are in line to receive £183 per capita. The announced funding is part of the Conservative party’s broader 'levelling-up agenda' and is the first tranche of the £4.8bn levelling-up fund announced at the Spending Review.
Alex Cunningham, the Labour MP for Stockton North, which includes an area that missed out on funding, said: “The Tories like to talk a good game on levelling up, but this is yet more proof that it is an empty slogan and that pork barrel politics is the name of the game."A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: “This analysis is nonsense. The selection process for the levelling-up fund is transparent, robust and fair, and we publish the criteria on gov.uk."
Source: The Guardian, 2 November 2021
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Peterborough and Wirral councils have been warned they face government intervention unless they selloff publicly-owned assets, including town halls, public toilets, leisure centres and libraries, and push ahead with further cuts to services. The threat by local government minister, Kemi Badenoch, followed publication of reviews into the two councils’ finances which concluded both ran the risk of effectively going bankrupt without urgent action.
Badenoch told Peterborough city council, which is run by the Conservatives in alliance with independents, and Wirral council – run by a minority Labour administration – they must set out plans within 30 days or face possible intervention. Both councils have made tens of millions of pounds of cuts in recent years, despite rising demand for services. Both have applied to government for financial support in recent months.
The review of Peterborough’s finances said it had lost nearly £100m in government funding over the past decade. The council told reviewers services were now at “dangerously low levels” after repeated cuts and had in some cases reached a basic legal minimum service. The reviews insisted both councils still had scope to make further cuts to services and should sell off assets. This includes the recommended sale of 3,000 acres of farmland in Peterborough, which currently bring in rent of £400,000 a year, the council town hall, and several office blocks. Wirral were recommended to sell council-owned assets including golf courses, youth clubs, libraries, leisure centres, community centres, public toilets and office buildings to raise cash to balance its budget.
The National Audit Office said this year that at least 25 councils in England were on the edge of bankruptcy after years of cuts, and amid soaring cost pressures. The pandemic has added more issues and both Slough and Croydon councils have declared effective bankruptcy in recent months.
Source: The Guardian, 2 November 2021
See also: Local Government Chronicle - Minister orders Peterborough and Wirral to address financial challenges
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The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has invited e-cigarette manufacturers to submit their products for approval to be offered on prescription via the NHS in England. However, in a House of Lords debate, Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate, a non-affiliated peer, questioned if “encouraging and giving the green light” to e-cigarettes might “send a signal to youngsters who might think it’s cool to start inhaling foreign gases into lungs which aren’t designed for them”.
Health minister Lord Kamall replied: “He raises a very important concern about e-cigarettes. And in conversations I’ve had with the MHRA and others, at the moment looking at the evidence in the UK there is no evidence in the UK that young non-smokers are adopting or taking up smoking e-cigarettes. Most users of e-cigarettes are using it as a pathway away from cigarettes.”
Crossbencher peer Lord Vaux of Harrowden highlighted the different flavours and colourful packaging used on e-cigarette products, saying they are “clearly aimed at children”. He said: “If we’re considering licencing e-cigarettes, could this also be an opportunity to tighten up the packaging and branding rules to ensure that that stops?” Lord Kamall said “incentives to customers and flavours” are expected to be among the factors under consideration as part of the regulatory progress.
Conservative peer Earl Cathcart added that he “used to smoke over 50 cigarettes a day but since 2014 I transferred to using e-cigarettes and I haven’t had a puff of tobacco since. And I’ve found my health and breathing so much better now so surely this is a very good thing, it should be encouraged.”
Source: The Evening Standard, 2 November 2021
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The Grocer explores the trend among tobacco companies to claim they are moving towards non-tobacco products. They note that in many western countries progressive tobacco control policies have seen continued declines in smoking prevalence, forcing tobacco companies to adapt and diversify their portfolios outside of traditional tobacco products, detailing where major tobacco companies such as Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco (BAT), Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and Imperial Brands are headed with such investments.
The piece also considers how committed to leaving tobacco products behind tobacco companies are, noting that smoking rates vary wildly by market and nearly a fifth (19%) of the global adult population still smoke. Bangladesh, India, Vietnam and Egypt are among the top global markets for Big Tobacco, and Euromonitor forecasts they will see both volume and value growth up to 2024.
Looking at financial statements, tobacco companies still seem positive about the prospects of their tobacco products. Altria tells investors its “strong core businesses” offer “strong long-term potential”. BAT grew combustibles revenue by 2.8% in 2020, up a further 5.8% in the first half of this year, thanks in part to “emerging market recovery”. JTI expects to “continue gaining market share globally both in combustibles and in RRP”. Today, cigarettes make up to 84% of total value sales of all smoking-related products, according to Euromonitor.
Liam Humberstone, engagement and stewardship lead at IBVTA, and technical director at vape chain retailer Totally Wicked, says that "while the move towards a ‘smoke-free future’ might be genuine, fiduciary responsibility will mean the pace is slow, perhaps even reluctantly so, if controlled by the tobacco industry." Humberstone believes combustible tobacco has “10 to 20 years left to run in the UK as harm reduction is embraced.” However, globally it could be a different story: “The tobacco industry could still be in the business of selling combustibles in many places 50 years from now or more. It will of course know this is their most profitable future.”
Source: The Grocer, 1 November 2021
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PQ1: Tobacco control plan
Asked by Mark Jenkinson MP, Workington
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 September 2021 to Question 52601 on Smoking, with reference to the delayed publication of the ONS smoking statistics bulletin entitled Adults smoking habits in the UK, whether the Tobacco Control Plan is expected to be published in 2021.
Answered by By Maggie Throup, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
We are undertaking further policy development to support the Tobacco Control Plan, which will be published in due course.
Source: Hansard, 29 October 2021
PQ2: WHO FCTC
Asked by Mark Pawsey, Rugby
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the UK delegation to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Ninth Conference of the Parties plans to request the formation of an intersessional Working Group to hear evidence on the use of vaping devices as harm reduction tools.
Answered by By Maggie Throup, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
We have no plans to do so. However, we will set out our pragmatic and evidence-based approach to e-cigarettes.
Source: Hansard, 29 October 2021
PQ3: Oral tobacco
Asked by Martyn Day, Linlithgow and East Falkirk
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the US\'s Food and Drug Administration decision to give snus the status of a reduced risk product in the United States.
Answered by By Maggie Throup, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
The Department has made no assessment. The sale of oral tobacco is banned in the United Kingdom under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. The Department continues to monitor developments in tobacco use across the world. Evidence shows that the consumption of any tobacco product is harmful and it is the Government's policy to help people quit tobacco.
Source: Hansard, 29 October 2021
PQ4 & 5: E-cigarettes
Asked by Rosie Cooper, West Lancashire
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the findings of Action on Smoking and Health\'s June 2021 report, Use of e-cigarettes (vapes) among adults in Great Britain, what progress he has made towards meeting the Government\'s target for England to be smoke-free by 2030.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the findings of Special Eurobarometer 506, Attitudes of Europeans towards tobacco and electronic cigarettes, published 3 February 2021, what further steps he is taking to reduce smoking rates in the UK.
Answered by By Maggie Throup, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care
The Department is considering a range of policy and regulatory changes to achieve our ambition to be smoke-free by 2030. These will be set out in our new Tobacco Control Plan, which we will publish in due course.
Source: Hansard, 29 October 2021
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