Lord Bichard (CB)

My Lords, I declare an interest as chair of the National Trading Standards Board. In that capacity, I make one or two points that I made in the Bill Committee and at Second Reading, as they may be helpful in the context of this debate on these early amendments and because trading standards professionals will of course be on the front line in enforcing this legislation. It is therefore important to know whether they are confident about it. By the way, I regret suggestions that trading standards is in some way being ineffective at the moment. It has certainly been starved of resources, but I cannot think of a profession that has found new ways of using its resources more effectively better than trading standards. I once again pay tribute to the work that it does—in no way is it ineffective. What it currently feels about this Bill is quite interesting. In saying these few words, let me say that I have spoken to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and it is content with what I am about to say. The first point is that, in a recent survey of all trading standards staff, 80% of professionals supported this Bill and felt that it provides a good balance between the strategy that people have to get off smoking and protecting, in particular, younger people. They believe quite strongly that the provisions in this Bill can be enforced. They feel very positive about what I would call the “one date policy” because it will avoid retailers having to check several dates on ID every year; there will be just one date for them to focus on. It will also avoid—this has not been mentioned yet—people who are currently able to buy cigarettes having that right taken away from them. That is a flashpoint for retailers; I take very seriously the point that has been made about the threat that retailers are working under. Trading standards also points to the fact that people often say that increased regulation and increased costs cause the illicit market to boom. There is no real evidence for that—certainly not in this country. I am not a smoker, but the cost of cigarettes has increased from £1 for 20 in 1987 to £16 or £17 for 20 in 2025; that has already been mentioned. Yet the market for illegal cigarettes reduced from 15 billion sticks sold to 2 billion sticks sold in the same period; actually, that was from 2000 to 2025. So the impact of regulation and price increases has not, at least in this country, been to increase the illicit market; that market is under control. The other two points that the professionals make are, first, that they believe that the retail licensing in the Bill will actually improve standards in the retail landscape and, therefore, they support that as well. Where do they have doubts? They want resources, of course; everyone always does. Is the fixed penalty notice a sufficient sanction? Perhaps, but perhaps not; it depends on the circumstances, I think, and it will need to be kept under review. I am trying to paint a picture here of a group of professionals who are under huge pressure, who have great commitment to their work and who actually support most of the provisions in this Bill.