UK politicians rubber stamp plain packaging bill
Politicians in the UK's House of Commons have today (March 11) voted in favour of implementing a plain packaging law for cigarettes.
The free vote, held this afternoon, saw 367 Members of Parliament (MPs) vote in favour of the bill, with 113 voting against it. A free vote gives MPs the chance to vote on an issue without being bound by party policy.
If the House of Lords, the upper house of the UK parliament, also approves the bill, it will become law.
Under the proposed law every cigarette packet sold in England from 2016 would be in a ‘dull brown’ colour with the name of the brand in a standardised typeface.
Reacting to the news, Nicky Strong, a regulatory lawyer at law firm Bond Dickinson, said the vote showed that the government “remains committed” to pushing ahead with the introduction of plain packaging for tobacco products.
Similar legislation was implemented in Australia in December 2012, while the Irish government also passed a plain packaging law this year.
Strong added: “In both of these cases [Ireland and Australia], strong legal challenges continue to be made, particularly focusing on the restriction of intellectual property.
“Concerns have also been raised about the impact that the introduction of plain packaging would have on the counterfeit products market, lowering the barriers to entry,” she added.
