Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing

Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing that sought approval of grant funding for 2024/25 for stop smoking programmes to support the plan for a smokefree generation by 2030.

The Government’s new ‘Stopping the Start: our new plan to create a Smokefree Generation’ plan was published in October 2023. This plan aimed to create a smokefree generation by 2030. Part of this plan was for Local Authorities to increase spend on stop smoking programmes and commissioned services, targeting populations where smoking prevalence was highest.

Key steps of the proposal included:

·  Legislating to raise the age of sale one year every year from 2027 onwards. The proposed legislation would make it an offence to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 which would stop children turning 14 or younger this year from ever legally being sold tobacco products.

·  Increasing funding for local authority Stop Smoking Services from next year - £520k additional funding allocation for Coventry, recurrent for 5 years from April 2024. 

·  Increased funding for awareness raising campaigns by £5 million this year and £15 million from next year onwards.

·  Increased funding for enforcement on illicit tobacco and e-cigarettes by £30 million from next year.

·  Evaluating the findings from the youth vaping consultation on specific measures to tackle the increase in youth vaping.

Coventry City Council had been notified that it would be awarded a grant of £520,304 annually from April 2024 until March 2029. This would be an annual agreement. To be eligible to accept the funding, existing spend on stop smoking services must be ringfenced, continuing to support stop smoking programmes and services.

The Office for Health Inequalities and Disparities (OHID) set the priorities it expected the grant to be used for. A detailed proposal would be developed and submitted for Coventry in line with these priorities, along with data and reporting.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

1)  Agrees to accept the “Stopping the Start” Grant in the sum of £520,304 for 2024/25 noting that future grants may be the subject of further reports.

2)  Delegates authority to the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing to undertake the necessary procurement exercises and/ or enter into grant agreements with external organisations (to a value no higher than the “Stopping the Start” Grant sum of £520,304) to meet the deliverable requirements of the “stopping the Start” Grant.

3)  Delegates authority to the Director for Public Health and Wellbeing, following consultation with the Chief Legal Officer, to enter into the necessary legal agreements to give effect to the above recommendations.