Meeting of the Parliament 10 March 2026 [Draft]
I understand the concern that Sharon Dowey expresses, but I want to take issue with one point that she raised, which was about the responsibility of business owners. Business owners are intensely responsible for the safety of their businesses. There is an obligation on any business owner, and particularly an owner of a vape shop, to make sure that their business is safe. We may well be looking at the implications of that failure on other adjoining buildings.
A regulatory infrastructure is in place but, as I said in my answer to Annie Wells, I am open to further consideration of these issues. Legislation is going through the United Kingdom Parliament at this time, and the Government is engaging constructively on that question to ensure that the provisions will extend to Scotland. However, we have to be very clear about the responsibility of business owners to make sure that their businesses are safe.