- Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 31 August 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a consolidated timetable for implementing the devolved provisions of the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, including the extension of the existing retailer register to nicotine products and herbal smoking products from 29 October 2026, the commencement of the related registration offences from 29 April 2027 and any subsequent regulations relating to the retail display of such products.
Answer
The following table sets out the known coming into force dates for relevant provisions in the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026.
Date | Description |
Royal Assent (29 April 2026) | Definition of tobacco product is commenced - a product consisting wholly or partly of tobacco and intended to be smoked, sniffed, sucked, chewed or consumed in any other way. |
29 October 2026 | Age of sale (18+) introduced for nicotine products (non-medicinal) and herbal smoking products. Requirements for age verification policies and requirements for authorisation for sale of these products by persons under 18 also come into force. |
29 October 2026 | Free distribution and nominal pricing offence comes into force for tobacco products, herbal smoking products, smoking related products, vaping products and nicotine products. It is currently prohibited under section 9 of the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 to give away in the course of a business any product or coupon where the purpose or effect is to promote a tobacco product. The new provision (which will be in section 8A of the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) act 2020) replaces this and extends the scope to cover all the relevant products. |
29 October 2026 | Vending machine prohibition is extended to cover vending machines dispensing herbal smoking products, cigarette papers and nicotine products. |
29 October 2026 | Secondary legislation has been laid by Scottish Ministers to commence the extension of the Tobacco and Vapes Retailer Register to include nicotine products and herbal smoking products. Retailers can register to sell these products from this date. |
1 January 2027 | Generational ban on smoking, which means from 1 January 2027 no one born on or after 1 January 2009 can legally be sold tobacco, cigarette papers or herbal smoking products. |
29 April 2027 | Offences relating to registration in the expanded retailer register come into force. Retailers must register businesses selling nicotine products and herbal smoking products by this date to avoid committing an offence. The requirements already apply to tobacco and vaping product businesses. |
1 June 2027 | Comprehensive ban on the advertising of tobacco products, vaping products, nicotine products, herbal smoking products and cigarette papers will be brought into force by secondary legislation laid by the UK Government. The intention is that this will come into force across the UK from 1 June 2027. |
The four nations Tobacco and Vapes: Packaging, Appearance and Display consultation was launched on 10 July and is open until 2 October. The consultation will be used to support the development of any potential regulations on packaging, appearance and display of relevant products.
Further information on the implementation of the remaining measures contained within the 2026 Act will be shared with Parliament in due course.
- Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 31 August 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the introduction of Vaping Products Duty and the Vaping Duty Stamps Scheme on 1 October 2026, what discussions it has had with (a) HM Revenue and Customs, (b) Border Force, (c) Police Scotland, (d) Trading Standards Scotland and (e) COSLA regarding arrangements for sharing intelligence on and coordinating enforcement against illicit and non-compliant vaping products.
Answer
The Scottish Government supports strong alliances to tackle the availability of illicit vapes.
Officials meet regularly with the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) alongside HMRC, who work with Border Force, to take action to tackle the import of illicit tobacco and vaping products at the border.
Intelligence is also shared across the 4-nations as part of the Cross Government Vape Enforcement Committee, which is led by the UK Department of Business and Trade and includes representation from HMRC and Trading Standards.
HMRC, Border Force and the NCA are also valued members of Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT). The SOCT meets every three months to discuss current and emerging threats and agree where action is required by partners to disrupt serious organised crime.
HMRC also sit on the Multi Agency Tasking and Delivery Board (MATDB) based at the Scottish Crime Campus, Gartcosh. As part of the MATDB, HMRC takes part in the intensification periods organised under Operation Machinize which disrupts a range of criminal activity on the high street.
- Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 31 August 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with third sector organisations to ensure that people affected by gambling-related harm can access timely and appropriate treatment and support.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognise the harms that can be caused by gambling. As set out in our Population Health Framework, we are taking a Public Health approach to tackle these harms and improve the treatment services.
Through the Gambling Levy, the Scottish Government has committed to providing £7.9 million in funding to a wide range of organisations in 2026-27. This includes over £3.9 million of funding to third sector organisations. The funding is being used to increase access to prevention and treatment services to support individuals and families affected by gambling related harms across all of Scotland.
We are working closely with our delivery partners to support them to progress this work.
- Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 31 August 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is consistent access to gambling harm treatment and support services across all parts of Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognise the harms that can be caused by gambling. As set out in our Population Health Framework, we are taking a Public Health approach to tackle these harms and improve the treatment services.
Through the Gambling Levy funds, the Scottish Government has announced funding of £7.9 million to a wide range of public sector, third sector and academic organisations in 2026-27. The funding is being used to increase access to prevention and treatment services to support individuals and families affected by gambling related harms across all of Scotland.
We are working closely with our delivery partners to support them to progress this work.
- Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 31 August 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the finalisation of regulations on the display of vaping and nicotine products, how it will assess the potential impact of any proposed restrictions on (a) the appeal and accessibility of such products to children and young people, (b) adults using regulated vaping products as a means to move away from smoking and (c) compliant businesses, including specialist vape retailers, and whether it will publish the results of any such assessment as part of the final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment.
Answer
As part of the development of the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 (2026 Act), a UK wide impact assessment was published by UK Government. Scottish Government contributed to the development of this impact assessment.
Scottish Statutory Instruments resulting from the 2026 Act will be supported by relevant impact assessments as part of our usual policy development process. This includes the Children’s Rights and Wellbeing impact assessment, which would cover the appeal and accessibility of these products to children.
The Scottish Government published a partial Business Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) on Display, alongside the "Tobacco and Vapes - Packaging, Appearance and Display consultation", for Scotland. This considers the impacts of proposed restrictions on adults using vaping products as a smoking cessation aid and impacts on businesses, including those which predominantly sell vapes.
Responses to the consultation and the partial BRIA will be used to support the development of any potential regulations on the display of relevant products. Any subsequent regulations in Scotland will be informed by a final BRIA.
The partial BRIA can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/display-restrictions-products-prices-herbal-smoking-products-heated-tobacco-devices-vaping-nicotine-products-scotland-partial-business-regulatory-impact-assessment/
The UK-wide consultation can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/tobacco-and-vapes-packaging-appearance-and-display/tobacco-and-vapes-packaging-appearance-and-display#how-to-respond
- Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2026
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Scotland regarding the provision of focal therapy treatment for prostate cancer patients within NHS Forth Valley.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2026
- Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 24 August 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the National Lottery Community Fund, credit unions and other community finance providers regarding the delivery of the financial inclusion priority within the revised Dormant Assets Policy Direction Framework.
Answer
The Scottish Government has held regular discussions with the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) regarding delivery of the revised Dormant Assets Policy Direction Framework. Consultation, scoping and analysis are continuing by NLCF, with funding programmes expected to be developed by March 2027. The outcomes of the consultation, including with credit unions and community finance providers, will help shape future engagement with financial inclusion stakeholders and inform the delivery of funding programmes.
- Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Flynn on 24 August 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing Speed Awareness Courses to address road safety in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government remains committed to introducing Road Traffic Diversionary Courses (RTDCs), including Speed Awareness Courses, as part of Scotland's Road Safety Framework to 2030. However, legislative changes by the UK Government are required before they can be introduced in Scotland. While no implementation date has been confirmed, we will continue to work with the UK Government to bring forward the necessary changes as soon as possible.
- Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 24 August 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to implement the financial inclusion priority within the revised Dormant Assets Policy Direction Framework, and what role it anticipates credit unions and community finance providers will play in improving access to affordable credit.
Answer
In late 2025, in line with the process agreed by the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government issued revised directions to the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) for Scotland's share of dormant assets funding. The revised directions include a new focus on financial inclusion, with specific reference to affordable credit.
The NLCF recently undertook a consultation to inform the development of its funding programme for the financial inclusion element of the revised directions. It is now developing a strategic plan outlining how it will deliver against these priorities, which will be presented to the Scottish Government before being laid in the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Government expects credit unions and community finance providers to play a key role in supporting people who face barriers to accessing fair and affordable financial services. The NLCF have awarded Social Investment Scotland with a £92,000 development grant to undertake sector-wide consultation and help ensure that future work on affordable credit is informed by lived experience, sector expertise, and practical delivery considerations.
- Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 August 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings from SEPA’s expanded per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) monitoring programme, which detected PFAS at almost 90% of monitored surface water sites and around 60% of monitored groundwater sites, whether PFAS monitoring, source protection measures and treatment requirements will be explicitly provided for in its investment objectives for Scottish Water under the Strategic Review of Charges 2027 (SR27) to ensure that PFAS levels do not contravene environmental standards.
Answer
The draft Ministerial Objectives for Scottish Water for 2027-33 were published in January 2026 as part of the Strategic Review of Charges process. The Objectives set strategic investment priorities, outcomes and expectations for Scottish Water. They do not make explicit provision for individual pollutants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), nor do they prescribe specific monitoring, source protection or treatment measures.(Water services - investing in and paying from 2027: consultation - gov.scot)
However, Scottish Water already undertakes monitoring and assessment activity in relation to PFAS. This includes a nationwide risk-based sampling programme and participation in collaborative initiatives such as the water industry’s Chemical Investigations Programme and the One Health Breakthrough Partnership. These initiatives are helping to improve understanding of PFAS sources, occurrence and behaviour in wastewater systems and the wider environment. Evidence from this work, alongside emerging scientific evidence and any future statutory or regulatory requirements, will inform consideration of any future investment measures that may be required in relation to PFAS.
SEPA's recent report presents findings from an initial scoping study on PFAS in Scotland's water environment. SEPA has indicated that it will expand its monitoring programme to strengthen the evidence base around PFAS sources, concentrations and environmental pathways.
