Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (Scotland) Regulations 2024
Background
The Scottish Government laid the draft Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 on 10 June 2024. The instrument has been referred to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee for consideration.
The regulations propose to ban the sale and supply of single-use vapes in the course of business in Scotland. The ban would come into effect from 1 April 2025. The changes aim to reduce the environmental harm caused by the improper disposal of single-use vapes and encourage the use of more sustainable, reusable alternatives.
The regulations:
- make it an offence for a person to supply, offer to supply or have in their possession for supply, in the course of business, single-use vapes
- enable local authorities to authorise enforcement officers to allow them to determine whether or not an offence has been or is being committed
- create enforcement powers to carry out investigations to determine whether an offence has been or is being committed.
More information on the instrument is available at legislation.gov.uk. This information includes a list of the impact assessments conducted by the Scottish Government.
Committee consideration
The Committee agreed to write to a group of stakeholders on the regulations. Stakeholders have been asked to respond by 18 August and responses will be published in due course.
The Committee will take evidence on the regulations from the Scottish Government on 3 September 2024. Following the evidence session, the Committee will publish a report, date TBC.