The Scottish government recognises the passing of SM140, and understands the sentiment expressed by the motion. Reducing smoking in Scotland is a priority of this government.

There is already currently an e-cigarette available on prescription by the NHS, e-Voke. The Scottish government does not believe it is necessary to set up the trials the motion requests as this would automatically become available on the NHS when the government enacts its policy of repealing prescription charges. This government won’t be setting up trials for any other e-cigarettes as the power to license medicines, including e-cigarettes, is reserved to the UK government under section J4 to Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998. This government does not view it as acceptable to set up trials for unlicensed products to be sanctioned on the NHS. Whilst doctors do have the power to prescribe unlicensed medicinal products if they believe it will benefit their patient, have made it clear to the patient that the product is unlicensed and has the patient’s consent, the Scottish Government is not prepared to give its sanctioning to an NHS scheme that would have unlicensed medicines being given out on trial by the Scottish NHS on a wide scale without that product first undergoing the proper safety checks MHRA conducts before it licenses a medicine. I appreciate this answer may be disappointing to some people who wanted to see these trials being conducted, however I hope they can find solace in the knowledge that I will be making representations to the UK government’s Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in the coming days to encourage them to have the appropriate safety checks conducted by the MHRA, and should MHRA then license other e-cigarettes I will happily allow the trials the motion urges the government to conduct to take place.

On the second demand of the motion, I will happily say that the Scottish Government is prepared to consider directions for the recording of e-cigarettes usage amongst patients by GPs should we be making any update to GMS contracts.

Thank you.