To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2012, Official Report, column 511W, on electronic cigarettes, if he will consider issuing guidance to local trading standards officers on the sale of electronic cigarettes and the evidence of illegal sales from other markets such as China.

BIS has recently established a Product Safety Focus Group with regional representatives of Trading Standards product safety groups. This group of safety experts share information on current trends in the market and on product safety concerns. We are aware that e-cigarettes are a concern to some local authorities and that Trading Standards have also been working with the industry association to develop an industry code of practice. Should Trading Standards need additional guidance on a particular product such as e-cigarettes then we have established a mechanism to facilitate this.