I went to a reception in Parliament on the illicit trade of tobacco products. At the event I was made aware of how large scale the problem is in the North East and was able to see examples of seized counterfeit products.

Fighting the illegal trade in our region is vital in order to prevent tobacco products getting in to the hands of those who are underage and to prevent the illegal profits from being used by criminal gangs for further illicit activity. It is also important to ensure that taxpayers and local small businesses like corner shops don’t lose out on lost revenue from legitimate sales.