HANDROLLED TOBACCO TAXATION

That this House believes that comprehensive fiscal measures are key to achieving the Government's public service agreement target regarding tobacco consumption; notes that all tobacco products cause disease; further notes that taxation levied against handrolled tobacco is almost half of that for manufactured cigarettes; further notes that this taxation structure has contributed to a considerable shift in consumption towards cheaper handrolled tobacco; further notes that this constitutes a threat to the Government's public service agreement target on tobacco; welcomes the Health Minister's statement that `The Secretary of State is very concerned about the increasing use of handrolled cigarettes'; further welcomes the Chief Medical Officer's recommendation that `The Government should look urgently at how to create a tax or duty system for tobacco that minimises the opportunity to avoid the impact of price rises by trading across to another tobacco product (for example handrolling tobacco)'; further welcomes the view of Action on Smoking and Health that `Handrolling tobacco - the tax rate should be increased at least in line with cigarettes'; calls on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to recognise this threat and thereby increase the amount of tax levied against handrolled tobacco so that it equals the amount of tax levied against manufactured cigarettes; further notes that revenue raised from this taxation increase could be earmarked for the specific purpose of addressing the growing problem of counterfeit cigarettes and handrolled tobacco smuggling; and wishes the Government success with its Tackling Tobacco Smuggling Strategy.