To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any UK overseas posts have provided assistance to the tobacco industry in countries in receipt of UK Government funding for tobacco control activity, including funding to support implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, since the issuing of revised guidance to posts in December 2013.
Answered on
8 February 2018
The United Kingdom Government is investing £15 million of Official Development Assistance funds to promote the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) through the FCTC 2030 project. The five year project, being led by the FCTC secretariat in Geneva, is currently in its second year. The UK’s diplomatic missions in each of the fifteen countries have been made aware of the project.
The UK Government and UK officials overseas are committed to limiting interactions with the tobacco industry as part of Her Majesty’s Government’s obligations under the FCTC. Posts have engaged with the tobacco industry, but will not engage with foreign governments on behalf of the tobacco industry except in cases where local policies could be considered protectionist or discriminatory.