The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is done and dusted. Almost.

Today was scheduled to be the final day for the report stage in the House of Lords. Instead, matters were wrapped up shortly before 9.00pm on Tuesday.

Lord Frost, who only started work as director-general of the Institute of Economic Affairs two months ago, has resigned, citing “personal commitments”.

Since Mark Littlewood stood down from the role in November 2023, having held the position for 14 years, the IEA has appointed two new DGs and will now have to search for a third.

Bit late to this but I can’t let the moment pass without mentioning the 14th British Kebab Awards.

The ‘Kebabbies’ or ‘KeBAFTAs’ have become a hot ticket in Westminster with ministers and MPs keen to demonstrate both their street cred and their alleged love of kebabs.

You can tell when the passage of a bill through Parliament is a foregone conclusion because the print and broadcast media invariably lose interest.

I’ve seen it happen many times and although the Tobacco and Vapes Bill only entered the report stage in the House of Lords on Tuesday, the flagship part of the Bill – the generational tobacco sales ban – is effectively done and dusted and the only national newspaper that bothered to report it was the Independent.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill returns to the House of Lords today for the report stage.

Three sessions have been scheduled – today and two days next week – following which the bill will go back to the House of Commons for final approval followed by royal assent.

Back from St Andrews.

According to the latest census (2022) the town has a permanent resident population of 17,732, to which you can add over 10,000 students. Of the latter, 42 per cent are international students, with one in five of all students at St Andrews reported to be from America.

I’m in St Andrews for a few days, although I almost didn’t make it.

My wife and I were due to stay in Harrogate on Sunday but that leg of the journey had to be abandoned because on Sunday morning I found myself in A&E after a very uncomfortable night.

On this day 20 years ago MPs voted overwhelmingly to ban smoking in all enclosed public places in England.

February 14, 2006, was a Tuesday but although I must have been interviewed at least 20 times, the only two that I remember took place at the King’s Head theatre pub in Islington.