AN inquiry by MPs into e-cigarettes has been welcomed by bosses at two East Lancashire manufacturers of the ‘vaping’ devices.

Liam Humberstone of Blackburn’s Totally Wicked and Matthew Moden of Darwen-based Liberty Flights said they hoped the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee would clarify the medical evidence on their use.

They said the MPs should take account of several recent expert reports showing e-cigarettes were safer than conventional ones.

Nelson East Labour councillor Azhar Ali, a former Lancashire County Council health boss, also welcomed the probe.

Committee chair Norman Lamb said he was concerned there are “significant gaps” in what is known about them and how they are regulated.

The MPs will look at their effectiveness as a stop-smoking tool and the impact of their growing use on health.

Nearly three million UK people now ‘vape’ regularly, four times the 2012 figure.

Mr Moden, managing director of Liberty Flights which employs 100 workers at its Arkwright Court base, said: “I and anyone involved in manufacturing or using e-cigarettes will welcome a full-scale inquiry.

“It needs to take account of several expert studies recently which show they are 95 per cent less damaging to health than traditional cigarettes.”

Mr Humberstone, technical director of Totally Wicked which employs 100 at two sites in Blackburn and will shortly open a new distribution depot in Accrington said: “I would give this inquiry a cautious welcome.

“Hopefully it will clarify the evidence about the health impact of vaping and take account of many recent reports showing it is much safer than combustible tobacco.”

Cllr Ali said: “I welcome this investigation and hope it will show the benefits of vaping in giving up traditional smoking.”

Mr Lamb said: “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.

“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.”