7. Will the Minister provide an update on progress the Welsh Government has made in meeting its aim of reducing smoking rates in Wales? OAQ(5)0017(HWS)

The Welsh health survey 2015 reports that 19 per cent of adults smoke. This reduction means the Welsh Government has already exceeded its aim of reducing smoking rates to 20 per cent by 2016, and is well on track to achieve its ambitious target to reduce levels to 16 per cent by 2020.

Diolch. It’s very good news, then, that the Welsh Government has exceeded its 2016 target of reducing the level of smoking to 20 per cent. How do you plan to achieve our ambitious target of reducing those levels to 16 per cent by 2020?

Thank you. We intend to build on our success so far with the new tobacco control strategic board, which has been set up to oversee the next steps forward. We have three specific sub-groups looking at best practice on smoking prevention, cessation and the denormalisation of smoking behaviours as well, to make it particularly unattractive to young people. We also have a separate task and finish group looking at ways of decreasing the demand for illegal tobacco, and these sub-groups will come together to provide us with recommendations for a refreshed tobacco control delivery plan to take us along those next steps to 2020. And, of course, this approach goes alongside all the work that’s going on there together at a UK level, such as standardised packaging to ensure a co-ordinated and comprehensive approach to tobacco control in Wales.

Thank you, Minister.