The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has called on the Labour government to invest in vape enforcement after shock new research raised questions over the ‘missing millions’ that the previous Tory government pledged in funding.
In answer to concerns over underage and illicit vape sales, former health secretary Andrea Leadsom repeatedly said the government was committed to providing £30 million per year in additional funds for enforcement agencies.
However, a Freedom of Information investigation - conducted by the UKVIA - has shown no evidence that the Conservatives came through on this promise before they were ejected from Number 10.
As part of the research, the UKVIA analysed data from 15 major city and London borough councils, none of whom have ever received any of this money or any indication of how much they could expect to see - excluding Welsh and Scottish authorities, who said they were never eligible for the top-up to begin with.
A previous analysis conducted by the UKVIA found that, even if the Tories did deliver on this pledge, it would have been a fraction of what’s needed to fill the ‘black hole’ in funding for enforcement with two thirds being swallowed up by an illicit tobacco strategy which has nothing to do with vaping.
“The previous Conservative government made a huge song and dance about its investment in Trading Standards but, as the findings of our most recent FOI investigation suggest, this is just another promise that has gone unfulfilled,” John Dunne, UKVIA director general, said.
“Labour has a golden opportunity to take decisive action and do what their predecessors couldn’t; put a stop to the rogue vape retailers who are unlawfully selling this age-gated product to under-18s and stocking illicit or non-compliant vapes.
“This starts with the introduction of a first-of-its-kind vape retailer and distributor licensing scheme which would not only block inappropriate businesses – such as sweet shops – from ever being able to sell these products and bring in much harsher penalties for those caught flouting the law, but would also generate upwards of £50 million per year in self-sustaining funding which could be used to empower Trading Standards and back a proactive national programme of enforcement.”
He continued: “We urge Labour to seriously consider the proposed scheme we put forward earlier this year as they decide on future vape legislation so we can stamp out illegal sellers and allow the legitimate industry to do what it was created to do – help bring an end to the public health harms of smoking once and for all.”
A recent study commissioned by the Association of Convenience Stores found Trading Standards needs a significant funding injection of £168,340,000 over five years if it is to fully enforce current vape legislation across the UK. The UKVIA said the licensing scheme could generate this, and almost £100 million more, over the same period at no expense to the taxpayer.
The UKVIA’s FOI investigation comes as a growing cross-party chorus of politicians, including Lord Storey, Baroness Walmsley, Lord Bethell, Jim Shannon MP, Mary Kelly Foy MP and Dr Caroline Johnson MP, as well as the likes of the Royal College of Physicians, have indicated their support for a vape licensing scheme.
The FOI investigation undertaken by the UKVIA also looked at the vape enforcement activity undertaken by each local authority’s Trading Standards team between 2022 and May 30, 2024. Of the 17 respondents:
1,867 businesses had been visited on suspicion they were involved in the sale or supply of illicit vaping products
334 physical retailers were found guilty of engaging in underage vape sales
More than 387,115 illicit/non-compliant vapes were seized – the majority of which were put in storage, destroyed or sent to recycling centres
The vast majority of retailers visited on suspicion of selling/stocking illicit products or found guilty of underage vape sales were non-specialist outlets including convenience stores, post offices and newsagents.
It was also found that the Trading Standards teams gave out just £10,730 in fines for the sale and supply of illicit/non-compliant vaping products and just £20,340 for underage vape sales - many of the respondents saying that they don’t have the power to issue fines.
The trade body noted that the retailers caught selling to under 18s in the FOI investigation could have faced a collective £3,340,000 in penalties and been banned from legally selling the age-gated product for two years under the industry’s proposed vape retailer and distributor licensing scheme.
A similar study published by leading regulatory specialist Arcus Compliance last year reported less enforcement action and lower fine amounts amongst 21 major city and London borough councils – including those looked at for the UKVIA’s research.
“It’s clear that more is being done to cut off the supply of underage and illicit vape sales and we commend under resourced Trading Standards officers for their hard work in bringing rogue retailers to book. However, without major investment and a clear national playbook for enforcement – which would be achieved through licensing - we will never truly be able to stamp out unscrupulous sellers and secure a more accountable industry,” Dunne said.
Dino Labbate has been announced as the new Chief Commercial Officer at A.G. BARR plc, the branded multi-beverage business with a portfolio of market-leading UK brands, including IRN-BRU, Rubicon, FUNKIN and Boost.
Dino takes up the role from today, 20 January 2025, having spent seven years at Britvic plc, most recently as GB Commercial Director for Hospitality. With previous experience at Kraft Heinz, Burton’s Biscuits and Northern Foods, Dino brings a wealth of FMCG insight and experience across all channels of the food and drink industry.
“This is a new role for the business and reflects our growth ambitions,” said Euan Sutherland, CEO of the AG Barr Group. “Dino’s FMCG experience, enthusiasm and commitment has made an instant impact on the business. He understands soft drinks and has considerable knowledge across grocery, wholesale, out of home and on-premise, which will play a pivotal role in developing all brands in the business.”
Dino said: “AG Barr has a rich history of success, which alongside the company’s bold growth ambitions, make this a brilliant opportunity for me to help steer our teams on the next chapter of AG Barr’s story. There’s so much potential in our portfolio which is already packed with incredible brands. I’m looking forward to supporting the business as we set ourselves up to win with current and future consumers.”
AG Barr will be announcing a trading update in respect of the financial year ended 25 January 2025 on Tuesday, 28 January 2025.
Brits are increasingly leaning towards cooking from scratch and are ditching ultra processed food, thus embracing a much simpler approach to their diet, a recent report has stated.
According to a recent report from John Lewis Partnership released on Friday (17), supermarket Waitrose has reported that it’s back to basics for many in 2025 due to a growing awareness around ultra processed foods, with many turning away from low-fat, highly processed products in favour of less-processed, whole food ingredients.
Whole milk and full-fat Greek yogurt sales are up 11 per cent and 21 per cent compared to skimmed milk and Greek style yoghurt a year ago.
Block butter sales are up by +20 per cent as compared to dairy spreads while brown rice is seeing +7 per cent more sales as compared to white rice.
The report adds that sourdough bread sales are up by +20 per cent as compared to white bread while full fat Greek yoghurt recorded +21 per cent more sales than Greek style yoghurt.
Over the past 30 days, searches on Waitrose website whole food searches soared with ‘full fat milk’ and ‘full fat yoghurt’ skyrocketing 417 per cent and 233 per cent.
The shfit reflects the wider growing awareness of effects of ultra-processed foods, thanks in no small part to Dr Chris van Tulleken’s bestselling book Ultra-Processed People and its continued momentum in 2024 and into 2025.
His eye-opening, rigorously researched account of ultra-processed foods and their effect on our health turned many people towards cooking from scratch, with unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients.
Maddy Wilson, Director of Waitrose Own Brand comments, “There’s been a lot of bad press around so-called ‘healthy’ products which aren’t nutritious and don’t taste great, however the growing awareness of ultra processed food in our diets has seen many customers seeking the basics and embracing a much simpler approach to their diet.”
Waitrose Food & Drink report released last year highlighted that 54 per cent of those surveyed proactively avoid processed foods.
A convenience store in Hinckley, which sold illegal cigarettes to undercover Trading Standards officers on eight occasions and had more than 1,800 packets of illegal tobacco seized during four enforcement visits, has been closed down for three months.
As informed by Leicestershire County Council, Easy Shop in Regent Street has been ordered to remain closed until April 15 by Leicester Magistrates Court, following a joint operation by Leicestershire County Council’s Trading Standards service and Leicestershire Police. The orders were issues last week.
The closure application was made after Trading Standards officers and police seized illegal tobacco from the business on four separate occasions between June 2022 and October 2024, which resulted in a total of 1,860 packets of tobacco being confiscated.
Trading Standards officers conducted a first test purchase at the shop in June 2022, following reports of illegal tobacco being sold from the premises. On that occasion, the officer was sold a packet of counterfeit Richmond cigarettes. Another test purchase in the following month also led to the sale of an illegal packet of cigarettes.
An enforcement visit carried out by Trading Standards officers, police and a tobacco detection dog in July 2022 discovered four packets of tobacco hidden in the shop.
Further repeated test purchases resulted in sales of illegal tobacco, while three further enforcement visits by Trading Standards officers supported by police and a tobacco detection dog yielded seizures of more than 1,800 tobacco products.
The tobacco was hidden in various locations, including a stairwell at the back of the shop, in the roof space of a stock room and in a car belonging to an employee.
The illegal sales continued, despite a change in ownership and several notices from Trading Standards reminding the owners of their legal responsibilities relating to tobacco sales. The final test purchase was carried out on 8 January 2025, when two packets of illegal tobacco were sold.
Magistrates granted the closure order under Section 80 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which prevents anyone from entering the address. Anyone who breaches it is liable to be prosecuted.
Large posters explaining that the business has been closed down due to illegal activity on the premises have been posted on the shop’s windows by Trading Standards officers.
Gary Connors, head of Leicestershire Trading Standards, said, "Our Trading Standards officers are actively tackling the trade in illegal cigarettes, which help to fund criminality.
"We will continue to work in partnership with Leicestershire Police to use all means at our disposal to disrupt those who seek to put our local community at a public health risk. The business will close for three months, and thereafter will be monitored if the premises reopen for business.
"Selling cheap or illicit cigarettes steals trade from our legitimate retailers who lose trade to rogue shopkeepers. All smoking is dangerous, but smoking illegal tobacco could potentially be even more harmful to health because the trade in counterfeit and illicit tobacco is unregulated, so there is no control over what is mixed with the tobacco.
"We will continue to clamp down on the sale of illicit cigarettes and vapes, as well as underage sales, to protect Leicestershire residents from traders who break the law.
"We really appreciate members of the public reporting suspicions of illicit or cheap vapes and tobacco sales."
A city centre convenience store in Cambridgeshire has been closed down after police found "illicit" items including Viagra tablets, illegal tobacco and more than £14,000 in cash from the premises.
About 683,400 cigarettes, 37.45kg of hand rolling tobacco, and 35 cigars were seized by the police from International Food Centre in Lincoln Road in Peterborough late last year. The closure order was served on the shop and flat above on Dec 31following an application to Huntingdon Magistrates' Court.
Officers carrying out the warrant in November also found £14,886 in cash, large sums of foreign currency and Viagra tablets.
A man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of tax evasion and money laundering and released on bail until February.
The following week, a man in his 40s was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply sildenafil and has also been released on bail until February.
It was found during the investigation that the shop's licence was transferred to several different holders in recent years.
In April 2022 the premises' licence and designated premises supervisor were transferred to the current licence holder.
PC James Rice, of Cambridgeshire Constabulary, said it applied for the closure order due to "persistent issues in the store around things such as the sale of age restricted products and other illicit items and non-duty paid products".
"Circumstances such as these are often a front for organised criminality and anti-social behaviour, which has detrimental effects in our communities.
"We hope this latest action shows the community that we are committed to tackling organised crime and will continue to police this robustly through regular compliance checks and enforcement of the order."
Elsewhere in Kent, four men has been arrested in connection with the sale of illegal tobacco and vape products have since been released on bail, pending further inquiries.
In total, officers seized 858 packets of cigarettes, more than six kilograms of rolling tobacco, 201 illegal vaping products and £2,560 in cash from shops in Lower Stone Street, Gabriel’s Hill, and the High Street in Kent.
Officers ask that anyone who becomes aware of stores selling cigarettes illegally to contact them, and they would also like to hear from genuine shop-owners who believe their businesses have suffered because of illegal cigarette sales nearby.
French champagne shipments fell by nearly 10 per cent last year as economic and political uncertainties hit consumers' appetite for the sparkling wine in key markets such as France and the US, the producers association said.
Producers had called in July for a cut in the number of grapes harvested this year after sales fell more than 15 per cent in the first half of 2024. Full year shipments were down 9.2 per cent from 2023 at 271.4 million bottles, the Comite Champagne (Champagne Committee) said.
"Champagne is a real barometer of the state of mind of consumers," Maxime Toubart, president of the Syndicat General des Vignerons and co-president of the committee, said in a statement late on Saturday.
"It is not time to celebrate given inflation, conflicts across the world, economic uncertainties and political wait-and-see in some of the largest Champagne markets, such as France and the United States."
The French market made up 118.2 million bottles, down 7.2 per cent compared to 2023, which the association put down to prevailing economic and political "gloom" in the country.
President Emmanuel Macron appointed Francois Bayrou, his fourth prime minister in a year in December, but his administration remains weak, and still faces an uphill battle to pass the 2025 budget that led to the ouster of his predecessor, Michel Barnier.
Champagne exports also fell, with just 153.2 million bottles shipped, down 10.8 per cent compared to 2023.
"It is in less favourable periods that we must prepare for the future, maintain our environmental (standards) trajectory, conquer new markets and new consumers," said David Chatillon, co-president of the Champagne Committee.
The committee said in July that the 2024 harvest in the Champagne region had suffered from poor weather since the start of the year, including frosts and wet weather which increased mildew fungus attacks in its vineyards.
As opposed to other wine production, most champagne bottles are a mix between several vintages, using stocks from previous years. These stocks are replenished during good years and can compensate for poor harvests.