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 the 7 January 2019 Guardian article entitled Sales of barred soap are up – but is it better at cleaning than a shower gel?, if his Department will make a comparative assessment of changes in the level of use of bars of soap and liquid soap; and whether his Department has plans to use bar rather than liquid soap in its own offices and premises.

The Department currently uses liquid soaps in its washrooms and does not intend to swap to bars of soap. The Department has, however, undertaken a wider review to reduce the use of consumer single use plastics across its office estate. This includes our office cleaning provider using large reusable plastic containers to dispense liquid soap in our washrooms.

We do not plan to make a comparative assessment of changes in the level of use of bars of soap and liquid soap.