Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Herald article entitled MoD stops using toxic chromium paint on tanks published on 17 April 2019, (a) when and (b) by whom the decision was taken to discontinue the use of paints containing hexavalent chromium on military vehicles.

The hexavalent chromate compound used in paints for vehicle servicing was banned in January 2019 under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals regulations. Work had been ongoing since 2006 to remove paints containing hexavalent chromate compounds, and the Ministry of Defence implemented this ban for the remaining few uses when it came into force. Updated instructions were provided to personnel and any remaining paints were recalled for safe disposal.