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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in the context of the Health and Safety Executive's approach to recommending priority substances for inclusion in Annex 14 of UK REACH, whether the Executive takes into consideration (a) socio-economic criteria, such as what impact the authorisation requirement for a substance may have on certain industry sectors and (b) the existence of work to develop alternative substitutes.

In considering priority substances for inclusion in Annex 14 of UK REACH, the Health and Safety Executive does not take into account socio-economic criteria, but does consider evidence on alternative substitutes.