Latest news with #Riddell-Carpenter
The Independent
26-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
MP quit smoking after voting to ban cigarette sales to young people
A Labour MP quit smoking on the day she backed plans to ban cigarette sales to people who are now aged 16 or younger, she has said. Jenny Riddell-Carpenter said vapes helped her to put down conventional cigarettes last year, as she warned that 'colossal puff' products had entered the market ahead of new regulations. The Suffolk Coastal MP attempted to amend the Government's Tobacco and Vapes Bill on Wednesday, to give ministers an immediate duty to ban vape 'mods' and extensions which would increase the amount of e-liquid per device beyond the 2ml per tank limit. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill already featured provision for the Health Secretary to regulate the appearance, size and shape of vaping products. The Bill, which MPs backed at its third reading 366 votes to 41, majority 325, would also ban the sale of tobacco products, herbal smoking products and cigarette papers to people born on or after January 1 2009, in an effort to 'create a smoke-free generation'. Health minister Ashley Dalton rejected Ms Riddell-Carpenter's proposal, as she said regulations could better capture the 'technical details' needed to tackle high puff count products. Ms Dalton herself revealed in the Commons that 'it took a cancer diagnosis to scare' her into giving up cigarettes. Ms Riddell-Carpenter said: 'At the second reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in November, I gave up smoking. 'I gave up smoking on that very day because I had just voted on the second reading of a Bill that would mean my nieces and nephews would never legally be able to smoke. 'I've tried to give up smoking before and the last time was just before the general election, so in truth, I never stood a chance of being able to succeed. 'But I've only been able to succeed this time because I've moved to vapes.' The MP went on to say that children taking up vaping is 'one of the most concerning crises facing young people and children today'. She warned that products have 'come onto the market that can allow people to attach refillable 10ml pods to the vapes, meaning that in effect, it is a 3,000-puff vape'. Ms Riddell-Carpenter said: 'This isn't 'big puff' vape, this is 'colossal puff' vape.' She said her proposal would 'limit the size sooner and prevent rogue vape manufacturers from circumventing the rules whilst the Secretary of State undertakes further consultation on these measures'. Ms Dalton told the Commons: 'I started smoking at the age of 16 and decided I could stop when I was 18. 'I couldn't. 'I know, I'll decide to stop when I'm 21'. 'And then it was 25. And then it was when I graduated. And then it was when I had a child. 'At no point was I able to give up this pernicious addiction. 'It took a cancer diagnosis to scare me into being able to stop smoking and I do not wish that upon any of our young people.' Responding to Ms Riddell-Carpenter, the health minister said: 'The Bill already provides the Government with powers to limit the amount of nicotine in a nicotine pouch, to regulate vaping products in such a way that would prohibit the sale of high puff count vaping devices, including setting tank capacity limits or devices where multiple refill tanks are attached, and to ban any other ingredient that may be harmful.' The Bill will now undergo scrutiny in the House of Lords.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
End 'whack-a-mole' energy projects strategy
An MP has called for an end to what she called a "whack-a-mole strategy" for energy projects in the East of England. Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, Labour MP for Suffolk Coastal, said a "void of no leadership" meant major infrastructure projects on Suffolk's coast were not coordinated, leading to "applications being drawn up without community interests at their heart". The Sizewell C nuclear power station, infrastructure to support offshore wind farms and National Grid projects are all planned for the county's coast. A government spokesperson said it was "reforming our planning system to ensure an effective, strategic approach for new energy projects". Speaking on BBC Radio Suffolk, Riddell-Carpenter said: "Thirty per cent of the UK's energy is due to be created or transported through Suffolk's coastline and that's a significant amount of energy infrastructure that's either planned, being constructed now or intended to come here." Both Sizewell C and ScottishPower Renewables' offshore windfarms were given approval in 2022, when the Conservatives were in power. "In creating that void of no leadership, organisations stepped in and they could just carve it up, pop this here, pop that there and it was a whack-a-mole strategy that was just left up to the energy developers to pursue and sustain," she said. "In no way is that good enough; in no way is that sufficient." She gave the example of the Nautilus project, plans for an under sea cable between Belgium and the UK. Suffolk's coast was being considered by National Grid as a location for landfall for the cable, but this has now moved to Kent. Riddell-Carpenter said: "Suddenly it was off the cards - it left just as suddenly as it came - but this is not how policy should be developed or conceived." She said she was pulling together a Suffolk Coastal Energy task force, including parish councillors, community leaders and representatives from the energy developers, to better co-ordinate plans. However, energy firms dispute the alleged lack of coordination. A spokesperson for National Grid said: "The application for our Sea Link project has not yet been submitted. "We have been consulting local communities in East Suffolk for the last three years, including local political representatives, all with the aim of identifying ways to keep disruption from construction to a minimum. "We are already coordinating with the other projects in the area, and attend community-facing meetings like the Sizewell C Community Forum - which the local MP is invited to." Julia Pyke, joint managing director of Sizewell C, said: "Low-carbon energy projects offer this area a huge opportunity for jobs, for investment, and for growth. "But projects do need to talk to each other; we do need to set an example of how infrastructure can be done better in this region. "We're working very closely with local projects and councils, to share intelligence and coordinate so that we can reduce impacts on local people." A spokesperson for ScottishPower Renewables said it prided itself on being "a responsible developer" and "considerate constructor". "Our East Anglia offshore windfarm projects, which are all fully consented, are multi-billion pound investment projects," they said. "Our focus is always on minimising impact – for example, installing all the cable route ducting for one windfarm during the construction of another – while maximising benefits for our communities." A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: "Securing Britain's clean energy future requires improving infrastructure in a cost-effective way to get renewable electricity on the grid and protect billpayers from unstable fossil fuel markets. "We are reforming our planning system to ensure there is an effective, strategic approach for new energy projects. "Communities will continue to have a voice on developments in their area." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. 'Nothing prepared us for Sizewell C devastation' Two offshore windfarms given planning permission Major energy project moves from Suffolk to Kent Campaigners continue to fight new substation plans Department for Energy Security and Net Zero ScottishPower Renewables National Grid - Lion Link National Grid - Sea Link Sizewell C
BBC News
15-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Suffolk Coastal MP wants end to 'whack-a-mole' energy strategy
An MP has called for an end to what she called a "whack-a-mole strategy" for energy projects in the East of England. Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, Labour MP for Suffolk Coastal, said a "void of no leadership" meant major infrastructure projects on Suffolk's coast were not coordinated, leading to "applications being drawn up without community interests at their heart". The Sizewell C nuclear power station, infrastructure to support offshore wind farms and National Grid projects are all planned for the county's coast. A government spokesperson said it was "reforming our planning system to ensure an effective, strategic approach for new energy projects". Speaking on BBC Radio Suffolk, Riddell-Carpenter said: "Thirty per cent of the UK's energy is due to be created or transported through Suffolk's coastline and that's a significant amount of energy infrastructure that's either planned, being constructed now or intended to come here." Both Sizewell C and ScottishPower Renewables' offshore windfarms were given approval in 2022, when the Conservatives were in power."In creating that void of no leadership, organisations stepped in and they could just carve it up, pop this here, pop that there and it was a whack-a-mole strategy that was just left up to the energy developers to pursue and sustain," she said."In no way is that good enough; in no way is that sufficient."She gave the example of the Nautilus project, plans for an under sea cable between Belgium and the coast was being considered by National Grid as a location for landfall for the cable, but this has now moved to said: "Suddenly it was off the cards - it left just as suddenly as it came - but this is not how policy should be developed or conceived." She said she was pulling together a Suffolk Coastal Energy task force, including parish councillors, community leaders and representatives from the energy developers, to better co-ordinate energy firms dispute the alleged lack of coordination.A spokesperson for National Grid said: "The application for our Sea Link project has not yet been submitted."We have been consulting local communities in East Suffolk for the last three years, including local political representatives, all with the aim of identifying ways to keep disruption from construction to a minimum."We are already coordinating with the other projects in the area, and attend community-facing meetings like the Sizewell C Community Forum - which the local MP is invited to." Julia Pyke, joint managing director of Sizewell C, said: "Low-carbon energy projects offer this area a huge opportunity for jobs, for investment, and for growth."But projects do need to talk to each other; we do need to set an example of how infrastructure can be done better in this region. "We're working very closely with local projects and councils, to share intelligence and coordinate so that we can reduce impacts on local people."A spokesperson for ScottishPower Renewables said it prided itself on being "a responsible developer" and "considerate constructor"."Our East Anglia offshore windfarm projects, which are all fully consented, are multi-billion pound investment projects," they said."Our focus is always on minimising impact – for example, installing all the cable route ducting for one windfarm during the construction of another – while maximising benefits for our communities." A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: "Securing Britain's clean energy future requires improving infrastructure in a cost-effective way to get renewable electricity on the grid and protect billpayers from unstable fossil fuel markets."We are reforming our planning system to ensure there is an effective, strategic approach for new energy projects."Communities will continue to have a voice on developments in their area." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
