Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions of the potential impact of proposed changes to the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 on work across (a) stained‑glass conservation, (b) historic metals, and (c) built heritage within the conservation-restoration sector.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is currently consulting on proposed changes to the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002. The deadline for submitting responses to the consultation is 24 May 2026. The consultation exercise will allow HSE to gain more detailed evidence to fully assess the impact of these proposed lead exposure levels in the working environment, including heritage workforce and built heritage, before any final proposals for reform. During the consultation, HSE has engaged with a range of heritage organisations, including Historic England, DCMS arms length body, to inform this ongoing work and ensure considerations around the historic environment are duly considered in any final recommendations.