Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of the 2017 World Health Organization report on sunbeds which found that more than 10,000 melanoma cases each year in the United States of America, Europe and Australia are attributed to sunbed use; and if will make an assessment of the potential merits of making it compulsory for all local authorities to have regulated licensing schemes for sunbed premises.

Public Health England (PHE) contributed to the revision of the World Health Organization report, ‘Artificial tanning devices: public health interventions to manage sunbeds’, the thrust of which is in line with PHE advice and the recommendations of the 13th report of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/comare-13th-report

The Sunbeds Regulation Act 2010 was implemented to prohibit under-18s from using sunbeds based on the COMARE recommendations.

The Department and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have published guidance to support the enforcement of the regulations by local authorities and safe use of sunbeds at the following links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sunbeds-regulations-act-2010-guidance-on-the-implementation-of-the-sunbeds-regulation-act-2010

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg209.pdf

PHE is currently refreshing its guidance on the use of sunbeds. PHE’s current advice is available to view at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sunbeds-safety-advice

The Department is considering whether current measures are effective for protecting sunbed users.