Reti Shane; Verrall AyeshaDr SHANE RETI (National): I thank the Minister the Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall for that offering. Can I comment that the policy intent is correct; it was drawn up not by myself but with expertise from the Table Office. So we have that assurance that it is a correct policy intent. I'd like to put that to rest.Secondly if she wants to say that the geography component—the descriptor—in this bill does take into account proximity and put that on the Hansard record that goes some way to alleviating the concerns that we're bringing to this Table. I agree with the Green member Chlöe Swarbrick that for removal of doubt we believe it is useful to explicitly put it there. But if the member says it is taken into account put it on the Table; say the geography descriptor in this bill takes into account proximity and that does make some progress towards that end.The other Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) I want to talk to is an SOP that further progresses this discussion around under-age vaping. This is a Supplementary Order Paper in my name on behalf of the National Party that again amends the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill. It addresses the widespread community concerns from parents and schools particularly which my colleague Matt Doocey has talked about as well around the significant increase in under-age vaping. This SOP remedies this by emphasising the importance of monitoring under-age access to and the use of vaping products. This includes legislative compliance with activities such as vaping acquisition as well as support for local policies preventing under-age vape use in controlled environments such as schools and community facilities.National supports vaping and the desirable impact it has had for adult smokers; however we share the concerns of parents communities and schools about the increase in under-age vaping—a tripling in fact. We should be cautious about the nicotine in vaping products and young people. If we look at some of the recent headlines two months ago Christchurch vape retailers fined over under age sales. Seven Christchurch vape retailers fined after selling products to minors." About a week ago another article—actually I'll come to one from a little bit further back: "A vaping problem of almost epidemic proportions has arrived in Christchurch after first hitting Auckland schools two years ago." This is from a principal. Principals are alarmed at the growing number of students who vape with one saying children as young as 13 are using the cigarette substitutes—principal after principal expressing what parents have concern with as well. And then about a month ago "Students ripping down vaping detectors in schools as New Zealand battles a teen vaping epidemic."Time after time we're seeing schools particularly and concerned parents saying we are concerned about under-age vaping—and I believe we all are as well. So we are of the view that we need to increase that compliance increase that monitoring in a safe way around the acquisition of under-age vaping products. This bill does do some things around identification for example of online acquisition. We think we should be doing more—that is clearly wrong—and also providing visible support to schools and to parents saying "Yes we agree with you. Under-age vaping is not a good thing. How can we help you? What resources can we bring? What other policies can we bring that say especially the Director-General of Health needs to take this into account? We consider it a problem." Everyone considers it a problem. We are supporting the voice of schools and communities in asking for further compliance monitoring of under-age vaping.And again to turn this down would be to turn down that voice to say one hasn't listened to say that no we know best; we think it's all going to make its way out in the wash. I don't think that's correct. I think we all have concerns for under-age vaping. Let's make it explicit. Let's put a flag in the sand and say "Here's what we will do to support parents support schools and support communities."Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL (Associate Minister of Health): Well it's good to hear that statement on the concerns we all share about under-age vaping. Indeed it is under age. Specialist vape stores are R18 and vaping is not permitted in schools. I can reassure the member Dr Shane Reti that section 20P(2) enables the Director-General of Health to make other requirements that are in regulation a criteria for the granting of a specialist vape store. So that power sought through Supplementary Order Paper 312 is available were those regulations to be in place. So that's already a possibility if regulations are made on that issue.To pick up the member's other concerns about monitoring indeed we're lucky to have good surveys of youth vaping use in New Zealand. So that has meant we have got a timely alert about the increasing youth vaping rates. We have some survey data on the ways in which young people come to access vapes which is invariably through friends more so than through stores. Those types of information that the Ministry of Health collect are very helpful in formulating other control measures that can be taken.Dr SHANE RETI (National): In a previous offering I put to the Minister the Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall that if she believed the geographic descriptor in the bill covered the proximity issue that Local Government New Zealand and the National Party have brought to the Table put it on the Hansard record here now. Say it is—that it takes proximity into account—and that then sort of alleviates some of the concerns we have. We think it should be more explicit. But if that is your view and the advice you're getting put it on the record here today so that legislative avenues and other policy makers can see that yes that is correct; it is already covered with that descriptor."