What the revised estimate is of the cost for (a) small and (b) large retailers of compliance with the ban on the display of tobacco as cont…

There is no single estimate of the cost to a retailer of complying with the tobacco display ban, as the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill and the relevant draft regulations do not stipulate how tobacco should be stored to comply with the display ban. The financial memorandum sets out estimated costs provided by retailers to comply with the legislation. The Scottish Government makes clear in the financial memorandum that these figures were supplied by industry representatives based on the assumption that refitting would require under the counter units and have not been adjusted to account for more innovative, cost effective solutions for concealing displays.
In line with the commitment made to the Finance Committee, officials have been working with retailers to minimise the cost to them of complying with the display ban. Draft regulations allow retailers to modify their gantries rather than having to refit their shop, significantly reducing the cost to comply with the legislation. The least expensive option offered by the National Federation of Retail Newsagents would involve installing a white plastic fronting to each row on the gantry. It has been estimated that such a solution could cost as little as £20 for the materials for each fronting with minimal installation costs. If they so wished, retailers of all sizes could install such a solution in order to comply with the legislation.
The Scottish Government will continue to work with retailers of all sizes to support them in complying with this legislation.