2022 APPG AGM
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health held its 2022 AGM on 31 March 2022.
The election of the following Officers was unanimous. Those who were unable to attend confirmed their preference via email in advance.
- Bob Blackman MP was elected as Chairman.
The following were elected as Vice-Chairs:
- Alex Cunningham MP
- Lord Rennard
- Lord Faulkner
- Baroness Finlay
- Mary Foy MP
- Lord Young of Cookham
It was agreed that Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) will continue to provide the secretariat for the APPG.
The formal business of the AGM was followed by a brief update on the Health and Care Bill, Javid Khan’s Independent Review of tobacco control, and the forthcoming Tobacco Control Plan.
2022 APPG on Smoking and Health celebration of ASH’s 50th anniversary on No Smoking Day
On Wednesday 9th March 2022, the APPG on Smoking and Health hosted a parliamentary event to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and No Smoking Day 2022 at the Houses of Parliament. The event was a great opportunity for the Public Health Minister to hear leading figures from across health and local government affirm their commitment to securing the Government’s goal of a smokefree country by 2030.
Parliamentarians and other guests heard from a number of speakers:
- Bob Blackman MP, Chairman of the APPG on Smoking and Health, welcomed the speakers and highlighted the need to go further and faster to achieve the Smokefree 2030 ambition
- The Public Health Minister, Maggie Throup MP, reiterated the Government’s commitment to publishing a new Tobacco Control Plan this year with stop smoking services at its heart
- Andrew Gwynne MP, Shadow Public Health Minister, highlighted the strong cross-party support for the Smokefree 2030 ambition
- Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council, and Prof Yvonne Doyle, NHS Medical Director for Public Health, talked about the work that local councils and the NHS are doing to tackle smoking in communities across the country
- Cllr Alison Todd, Surrey County Council, spoke powerfully about her own experience as an ex-smoker who only quit after she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, and her commitment to helping others to understand the harms from smoking and the benefits of quitting
- Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of ASH, reflected on the progress made in reducing smoking prevalence since the founding of ASH.
Photos from the event are available here.
APPG on Smoking and Health recommendations for the 2021 Tobacco Control Plan
On Wednesday 9th June 2021, the APPG on Smoking and Health held a roundtable to launch the APPG’s new report: Delivering a Smokefree 2030: The All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health recommendations for the Tobacco Control Plan 2021. The report calls for further regulations, increased funding levied from the tobacco industry on a polluter pays principle, and investment in the communities where smoking has the biggest impact.
Bob Blackman MP, Chairman of the APPG on Smoking and Health, welcomed the announcement from the Public Health Minister, Jo Churchill MP, that the Government was developing a new Tobacco Control Plan for publication in 2021 and emphasised the APPG’s support for the Government’s smokefree 2030 ambition.
The Minister thanked the APPG for “keeping the pressure up” and welcomed the APPG’s recommendations for the next Tobacco Control Plan. She reiterated that the new Plan would be published before the end of 2021 and highlighted her particular passion for supporting mums to have smokefree pregnancies. The Minister acknowledged the need for further investment to deliver a smokefree 2030 and committed to considering the APPG’s recommendations.
Parliamentarians and other guests heard from a number of speakers:
- Jo Churchill MP, Minister for Prevention, Public Health and Primary Care
- Dr Ruth Sharrock, Respiratory Consultant and Clinical Lead for Treating Tobacco Dependency for the ICS North East and North Cumbria
- Professor Linda Bauld, Director, SPECTRUM Research Consortium: Policy recommendations for the Tobacco Control Plan
- Dr Henry Featherstone, Policy Adviser: How to fund the Tobacco Control Plan using a Smokefree 2030 Fund
- Sue Mountain, ex-smoker and survivor of smoking-related cancer
The report recommendations were discussed in Parliament the following day (10th June) during a Backbench Business Debate led by Bob Blackman MP and Mary Foy MP, to which the Minister responded. You can read the transcript here.
2021 APPG AGM
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health held its 2021 AGM on 20 April 2021.
The election of the following Officers was unanimous.
- Bob Blackman MP was elected as Chairman.
- Ian Mearns MP was elected as Treasurer.
The following were elected as Vice-Chairs:
- Alex Cunningham MP
- Lord Rennard
- Lord Faulkner
- Baroness Finlay
- Mary Foy MP
- Lord Young of Cookham
The formal business of the AGM was followed by presentations on the publication of the next Tobacco Control Plan and upcoming public health and NHS reforms, and tobacco industry lobbying.
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health: Activity from January 2020 to April 2021
View AGM minutes