Tobacco and Vapes Bill Report Stage: New Clause 2
137Ayes
304Noes
Defeated · majority 167 · Government won207 did not vote
648 Members · Aye 137 · No 304 · DNV 207 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
New Clause 2 to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which would have banned plastic filters in cigarettes as an environmental measure, was defeated on 26 March 2025 by 304 votes to 137. The clause was tabled by Caroline Dinenage, the Conservative MP for Gosport, and debated during the Bill's report stage (the line-by-line scrutiny stage in the Commons). The new clause targeted the estimated 3.9 billion cigarette butts that enter the UK environment each year. Its supporters argued it was a straightforward environmental intervention, distinct from the public health aims of the wider Bill, and that replacing plastic filters with biodegradable alternatives would reduce litter in rivers, on beaches and on streets. The government opposed it, with minister Ashley Dalton warning it could amount to greenwashing: improving tobacco manufacturers' reputations without delivering genuine environmental improvement. The government's position was that existing legislation was sufficient to address tobacco litter. The vote divided sharply along party lines. Nearly all Conservative MPs and Liberal Democrats voted for the new clause, while the government's Labour and Labour-Co-operative bloc voted against almost unanimously, with only one Labour MP voting in favour. Reform UK, Plaid Cymru, the Democratic Unionist Party and several smaller parties or independents also supported the clause. The Bill itself passed its third reading the same day, by 366 to 41, with broad cross-party support for its core generational tobacco ban.
Voting Aye meant
Support banning plastic cigarette filters to reduce the estimated 3.9 billion cigarette butts polluting beaches, rivers and streets each year, treating it as an environmental measure separate from the public health aims of the wider Bill.
Voting No meant
Oppose the ban on plastic filters, accepting the government's argument that switching to biodegradable alternatives could greenwash tobacco manufacturers' reputations without genuinely improving environmental outcomes, and that existing legislation is sufficient.
Each row is one party. The stacked bar gives the within-party split of Aye / No / Absent; the columns on the right give the raw counts. The whip column shows the published party position — “Free vote” means the whip was formally removed for this division.
Party
Whip
Aye / No / Abs
Aye
No
Abs
Labour Party
Whipped No
1
271
89
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
62
0
54
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
59
0
12
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
31
11
Independent
—
3
1
9
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
Whipped Aye
4
0
3
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
—
2
0
3
Green Party of England and Wales
—
0
0
4
Plaid Cymru
Whipped Aye
3
0
1
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
0
2
Your Party
—
1
0
1
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
0
1
Restore Britain
—
1
0
0
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
1
0
0
Ulster Unionist Party
—
1
0
0
Source · Hansard · UK Parliament Votes API · whip status from announced positions; “free vote” indicates the whip was formally removed
Defends the Bill as watershed public health legislation that will save lives by ending tobacco sales to future generations, strengthen vaping restrictions for children, and support adult smokers via stop-smoking services and vape-as-quit-aid schemes.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (4,874 words) →
Supports tobacco control but opposes the Bill's broad powers allowing the Secretary of State to designate smoke-free places without consultation or justified public health grounds; advocates for restricted powers, mandatory pre-implementation licensing consultation, and annual reports on illegal tobacco markets.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,907 words) →
Warns that the generational smoking ban will inevitably increase the illegal tobacco market, a highly regrettable unintended consequence that requires monitoring and enforcement action.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (47 words) →
Emphasises that illegal tobacco sales are linked to serious organised crime and money laundering, often by foreign-owned shops, and urges stronger support for trading standards and police enforcement.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (2,565 words) →
Argues the black market already exists significantly (44% drop in duty-paid cigarettes despite only 0.5% reduction in smoking) and the Bill increases that risk, so evidence-gathering via amendment 19 is essential.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,627 words) →
Seeks confirmation that fixed penalty notice fines will be retained by local authorities for public health spending to offset enforcement costs.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (65 words) →
Welcomes the Bill as world-leading public health legislation that will reduce smoking prevalence and protect NHS resources from being overwhelmed by preventable tobacco-related illness.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,625 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0