The government’s proposal of an annual £750 vape licensing scheme has received broad support from MPs in the latest Tobacco and Vapes Bill committee debate.
The new regulation could generate around £50m in revenue, which can be used to support enforcement measures such as bi-annual mystery shopping initiatives to ensure effective legislation, according to vape retailer Evapo.
The latest committee debate focused on tackling underage vaping, deterring illicit products, and holding retailers accountable.
Evapo said it was the only specialist vape retailer to submit evidence to the committee, which considers amendments to the legislation, proposing a licensing scheme to bring about and enforce higher standards.
At the committee, Shadow Health Minister Sarah Bool said a manageable fee for retailers would incentivise good actor participation while disincentivising bad actor behaviour. “It would also make it more cost effective to follow the law, stymieing rogue traders from shrugging off rare fines to sell illegal, dangerous products to underage people,” she said.
The committee’s discussions reflected ”broad agreement” on the need for a stronger licensing scheme, with a focus on balancing enforcement and providing practical support for businesses.
In its evidence, Evapo also suggested that retailers selling vape products to those underage should face on-the-spot fines of £2,000 rather than £200, as the latter is not a “sufficient deterrent for criminals”.
“Rogue traders should think twice before they break the law, and the best approach for that would be to raise the potential costs of criminality,” said Evapo chief executive Andrej Kutruff.
Councillor David Fothergill commented on the current fines: “If you pay [the fine] within 10 days, it goes from £200 to £100. If you sell 40 vapes in one day, you have paid your fine. Some retailers—very few, because the vast majority are scrupulous—will take the view that they could sell more vapes to under-age people and those they should not be selling to, and pay that £100 fine within 10 days. So yes, we view it as too low. We would like to see a review brought in within a year to see whether it should be increased.”
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