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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of microbeads used in industrial processes on marine wildlife.

Our consultation on banning the use of microbeads in cosmetics and personal care products asks for evidence on the extent of the environmental impacts of microplastics, including microbeads, found in other products and processes. This includes whether microbeads are used in industrial processes and whether they end up in the marine environment. If they do we will use this information to inform future UK actions to protect the marine environment.