Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department has taken since the enactment of the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 to strengthen enforcement against the online sale of prohibited asbestos-containing products.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), in my department, is coordinating the regulatory response to asbestos-contaminated consumer products, working closely with Local Authorities to enforce the regulations and monitor ongoing product recalls to ensure businesses are acting.

OPSS is in regular contact with businesses, including online marketplaces, to ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities and take appropriate action.

The Government is currently consulting on a range of proposals to modernise and strengthen the UK’s product safety enforcement framework, including online, following royal assent of the PRAM Act 2025.