Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are provided in product safety legislation to ensure that flame retardants used in furniture and furnishings are safe for everyday use.
Answered by Lord Henley
Chemicals, including flame retardants used in furniture and furnishings, are regulated under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). This aims to provide a high level of protection for health and the environment from the use of chemicals including those used in products.
In order to comply with REACH, companies must identify and manage the risks linked to the substances they manufacture and market in the EU. They have to demonstrate how the substances can be safely used, and they must communicate the risk management measures to the users. If the risks cannot be managed, authorities can ban or restrict the use of substances.
All furniture must also comply with the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 and be safe before it can be placed on the market.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why highly flammable foams which form hydrogen cyanide when burnt are permitted to be used in furniture upholstery and building insulation.
Answered by Lord Henley
We are committed to ensuring high levels of consumer safety. Furniture must comply with the 1988 Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations. These regulations are currently being reviewed.
Insulation materials used in buildings must comply with the 2010 Building Regulations. MHCLG published in December 2018 a call for evidence starting a technical review of the Building Regulations’ guidance with regards to fire safety (Approved Document B). The Department is currently reviewing the responses to this call for evidence.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have collected on the effectiveness of provision of safety of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 that differs to that included in their document Technical Paper: Systematic Rationale for modification of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations in relation to Schedules 4 & 5, published in October 2014; and if they have any such evidence, whether they will publish it.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 are being reviewed to ensure they reflect changed fire safety risks, innovation, manufacturing processes and environmental and health concerns of chemical flame retardants whilst maintaining product safety protections.
The Department welcomes any innovative approaches that deliver consumer safety and comply with existing fire safety regulations, including methods which do not use flame retardants.
The Department will publish its response to the 2016 consultation on the regulations in due course. This will take account of the responses received, the views of experts from across government including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Public Health England, the Food Standards Agency and the Fire Services, as well as a range of evidence from external sources such as academic papers.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, further to the 2014 and 2016 consultations on Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations and the Technical Paper: Systematic Rationale for modification of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations in relation to Schedules 4 & 5, published in October 2014, which outlined the problems with the match test, they will now revoke that test.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 are being reviewed to ensure they reflect changed fire safety risks, innovation, manufacturing processes and environmental and health concerns of chemical flame retardants whilst maintaining product safety protections.
The Department welcomes any innovative approaches that deliver consumer safety and comply with existing fire safety regulations, including methods which do not use flame retardants.
The Department will publish its response to the 2016 consultation on the regulations in due course. This will take account of the responses received, the views of experts from across government including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Public Health England, the Food Standards Agency and the Fire Services, as well as a range of evidence from external sources such as academic papers.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have conducted life-cycle analyses to evaluate the benefits, risks, health and environmental effects of chemical flame retardants, alongside their fire safety impacts; and if so, (1) when, and (2) where such analyses have been published.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 are being reviewed to ensure they reflect changed fire safety risks, innovation, manufacturing processes and environmental and health concerns of chemical flame retardants whilst maintaining product safety protections.
The Department welcomes any innovative approaches that deliver consumer safety and comply with existing fire safety regulations, including methods which do not use flame retardants.
The Department will publish its response to the 2016 consultation on the regulations in due course. This will take account of the responses received, the views of experts from across government including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Public Health England, the Food Standards Agency and the Fire Services, as well as a range of evidence from external sources such as academic papers.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to promote innovation and market uptake of flame-resistant chemical-free materials.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 are being reviewed to ensure they reflect changed fire safety risks, innovation, manufacturing processes and environmental and health concerns of chemical flame retardants whilst maintaining product safety protections.
The Department welcomes any innovative approaches that deliver consumer safety and comply with existing fire safety regulations, including methods which do not use flame retardants.
The Department will publish its response to the 2016 consultation on the regulations in due course. This will take account of the responses received, the views of experts from across government including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Public Health England, the Food Standards Agency and the Fire Services, as well as a range of evidence from external sources such as academic papers.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what information has been made available to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Dame Judith Hackett Review, and the Independent Experts Advisory Panel with regard to the findings set out in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills consultation papers on the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations, published in 2015, that the Regulations are ineffective and that furniture and furnishings treated with flame retardant chemicals can cause toxic smoke in dwelling fires.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Department is providing the Grenfell Tower Inquiry with the documents that it holds in accordance with its Terms of Reference and List of Issues. It will then be for the Inquiry to determine which of these documents are relevant.
The Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety was commissioned to consider the effectiveness of the current system of building regulation and fire safety, with a particular focus on multi-occupancy, high-rise residential buildings. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ consultation papers on the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations did not fall within the remit of the Review.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote the development of materials and products that meet fire safety requirements without the use of chemical flame retardants.
Answered by Lord Henley
The existing regulatory framework already allows for the use of materials and products that deliver consumer safety from fires, without using chemical flame retardants and the Government continues to welcome innovative approaches that deliver safe outcomes for consumers.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their response to the September 2016 consultation on necessary fire safety changes to the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988; and what account they will take of the December 2017 Chemosphere article Flame retardants in UK furniture increase smoke toxicity more than they reduce fire growth rate.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Department will publish its response to the consultation in due course.
This will take account of the responses received, the views of experts from across government including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Public Health England, the Food Standards Agency and the Fire Services, as well as a range of evidence from external sources such as academic papers.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many meetings they have held or attended since the end of the consultation on the changes to the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 in November 2016 to discuss possible proposals; with whom; on what dates, and what, if any, were the outcomes.
Answered by Lord Henley
Details of ministerial meetings with external bodies are published on the Gov.uk website here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings. A copy is also attached.
Officials meet regularly with stakeholders with an interest in product safety to hear their views on a range of product safety issues including the fire safety of furniture.