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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s change of approach to including Substances of Very High Concern on the UK REACH Candidate List, how long will the new interim principles be in place; and if he will conduct a full public consultation and impact assessment on any proposal to make those interim principles permanent.

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.