Home›Questions on Notice›QoN 1095

❓ Dr. Walker questions the Health Minister regarding verbal advice given by Health Department officers to vape store owners about the legality of selling vape parts, seeking information on guidelines and record-keeping practices. The Minister's response refers to publicly available information and general record-keeping policies.

AnsweredQoN 1095Legislative Council

Asked

15 November 2022

Member

Hon Dr Brian Walker

Portfolio

Health

QuestionView source ↗

I refer the Minister to numerous examples of verbal advice being offered by officers in the Health Department to vape store owners between 2018 and 2021, confirming that it was legal to sell composite parts of a vape under Western Australian law, and I ask: (a) are there any written guidelines with which the Health Department's officers are expected to comply when offering verbal advice, either in person or over the phone to Western Australian businesses in relation to the legality and permissibility of their business practices, and if there are, will the Minister table those guidelines; and (b) are any records of such verbal advice maintained, and if not, why not?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered

14 February 2023

Responded by

Leader of the House representing the Minister for Health

Response time

9 days

(a) The Department of Health’s Tobacco Compliance Officers (TCO) refer to information publicly available on the WA Department of Health website.
(b) The Department of Health keeps a range of records as per its record keeping policies. TCOs may not record advice that is general in nature.

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