The Government has confirmed that a vote on the introduction of standardised tobacco packaging will take place before Parliament breaks ahead of the General Election.

Health Minister Jane Ellison announced during an evening adjournment debate on Wednesday that the measures would be laid before parliament.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “The tobacco display ban has not yet been introduced for small stores, but instead of assessing the impact of one regulation before moving to the next, the Government is pressing ahead with new and burdensome regulations for local shops. There is no convincing evidence that standardised packaging will affect smoking rates.”