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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the number of chemical substances that will fall into a lower tonnage band under UK REACH than under EU REACH.

Applying tonnage bands to substances according to the quantities in which they are manufactured or imported has been a fundamental part of the registration process since EU REACH came into force in 2007. Less information is required where substances are being manufactured or imported in lower tonnages. This is because when lower quantities are in circulation, the use and hence the potential exposure are also reduced. This has not changed in UK REACH.

It may be the case that some chemical substances are registered under UK REACH at lower tonnage bands than they are under EU REACH, but registered tonnages under EU REACH are not directly relevant to the Great Britain context given the differing market sizes, and it would not in any event be feasible to assess the differences until full registration information is submitted under UK REACH.