Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2022, to Questions 98425, 98519 and 98420, if he will publish (a) the evidence base underpinning the reasons given by his Department for introducing new principles for the inclusion of Substances of Very High Concern on the UK REACH Candidate List and (b) assessments made by his Department on the effect of those proposals on the protection of (i) human health and (ii) the natural environment; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the corrected answer to PQs 98425, 98519 and 98520.

The purpose of the interim approach we published is to clarify the circumstances when we will nominate substances to be added to the Candidate List in UK REACH. The formal process for adding substances to the Candidate List once nominated has not changed and was carried over from the EU.

We will keep our interim approach under review taking account of both our experience of operating UK REACH and feedback from stakeholders as it develops.