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This area is a returning agenda point in my conversations with Geoff Ogle. As I mentioned, about 22 per cent of the regulated products service’s time is spent on 10-year renewals. That reduces FSS’s capacity to deal with new product authorisation in a reasonable timeline. We are expecting more than 300 products to come back over the next two years. The reforms are going some way to steady the state of things, to ensure that we have the right resource to put into the new horizon-scanning areas.

It is important to recognise that the change allows us to bring regulation of those products in line with that for other food and feed products that we regulate, and that Food Standards Scotland maintains the power to consider any product authorisation that is needed at any time. That has been part of the work that Food Standards Scotland and the FSA have been doing together to direct the right resource to the right areas, to ensure that we have robust population health and safety through food standards.

The process that has been worked on collaboratively by Food Standards Scotland and the Food Standards Agency allows for what you have just set out. Food safety is key. Because so many new products are coming on to the market, we must ensure that we can give consumers, and the businesses that use those standards, the right scientific evidence and data to know that products are safe. I am pleased that the work, which has been going on for a number of years, has been a true collaboration approach between the two food standards agencies in GB. They worked consistently through the different options and took ideas to their boards at the same time. It was a truly collaborative way of working and one that I was really pleased to see.

It is fair to say that all the products that would be affected by the changes that we are talking about were rigorously reviewed for safety through the EU. We have worked with the FSA, but we still horizon scan to ensure that we are matching the EU’s standards as well.

Greig, can you add a wee bit about the work that is being done with the EU?

One key reason for the change is to allow Food Standards Scotland to ensure that it has the capacity to look ahead and do horizon scanning, looking at risk rather than timespans. I have been having conversations for almost the past two years with Geoff Ogle, the chief executive of Food Standards Scotland. We meet fortnightly to understand areas of concern or risk in Scotland’s entire food landscape.

As I understand it, not being a smoker and not being a user of herbal products, there are herbal products that are made into cigarettes, and nicotine pouches are also used.

Again, my understanding is that herbal products do not necessarily contain nicotine, but they contain substances that can have a carcinogenic impact, as well as tar. That is why they are included in the legislation.

There is currently a need for people to confirm their age when they are buying products if the retailer is at all concerned, so that is something that is accepted. The point—which I have made before—is that between 80 and 90 per cent of people who start smoking do so when they are under 20, so by the time the legislation moves through, if it is successful, it is clear that there will be fewer people starting to smoke.

I go back to the point that the legislation is here to help us stop the start, and that is a strong message that everyone should recognise.

I am sorry, Dr Gulhane—I lost the train of that question.

There are a lot of questions wound up in that. I go back to the development that we are currently doing on the register of tobacco and vape products. That involves changing a platform, which will become a much more useful tool for putting out information to retailers and for getting information back from retailers. The register is really important.

As with any change in regulation, if the bill goes through, we will need to work closely with retailers and have those conversations to ensure that they know about the legislation. That is absolutely key to making this work.

With regard to ensuring that parents are aware of the impacts of tobacco and vaping, I have already highlighted project youth, also known as the Icelandic model, which has had amazing results in improving the health of younger people. In Scotland, at the beginning of this year, we had the take hold campaign, which was specifically aimed at parents and carers to ensure that they understand the impact of vaping on young people’s health. I was really pleased that women’s football used the advert at their cup final at Tynecastle, which pushed it out to an audience that needs to be aware of the impacts.

I also refer to the answers that I gave to Mr FitzPatrick and Mr Whittle—education through curriculum for excellence ensures that children understand the impacts of things on their health.

Snus has been banned since 1992.