Inquiry into e-cigarettes launched as MPs warn of 'gaps' in research

An an inquiry into electronic cigarettes has been launched amid concerns there are "significant gaps" in understanding their impact on health.

The probe comes as a former health minister said there were fears e-cigarettes were "normalising" smoking for the younger generation.

The Science and Technology Committee will look at the impact of e-cigarettes on human health, their usefulness as tools for quitting smoking, the regulations governing how they are sold, and the financial implications of their use on business and the NHS.

Almost three million people in the UK now "vape", but the chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, and a former health minister, Norman Lamb warned there are still significant gaps in the research guiding their regulation and sale.

New York will become the 11th US state to ban vaping indoors next month after a bill was past prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes in workplaces, bars and restaurants.

Mr Lamb said there needs to be better understanding of the implications of the "growing industry" of electronic cigarettes.

"They are seen by some as valuable tools that will reduce the number of people smoking 'conventional' cigarettes, and seen by others as 're-normalising' smoking for the younger generation," he said.

"We want to understand where the gaps are in the evidence base, the impact of the regulations, and the implications of this growing industry on NHS costs and the UK's public finances."