Mentions:
1: None Since we left the EU, the number of chemicals that the EU has added to watch lists—in other words, ones - Speech Link
2: None I mentioned the divergence in relation to chemicals. - Speech Link
Written Evidence Dec. 13 2023
Inquiry: UK RegulatorsFound: Countryside Link (Link) and covers the role of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as the primary chemicals
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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 it his policy to ban the export of paraquat.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government does not currently intend to ban the export of paraquat.
The export of paraquat from Great Britain (GB) is strictly regulated under the GB Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regulatory regime for the export and import of certain hazardous chemicals. We believe it is essential that the use of pesticides that are known to be hazardous to human health or the environment should be subject to scientific risk assessment, mitigation, and regulatory protections. That is why we support notification of the export of Paraquat under GB PIC and support its listing under the Rotterdam convention.
The exchange of information that PIC provides allows importing countries to make informed decisions on the import of those chemicals and on how to handle and use them safely. This process is kept under review.
The UK is committed to working internationally through bodies such as the OECD, the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC - formerly SAICM), the Rotterdam Convention and United Nations Environment Assembly to manage pesticides safely. As a strong supporter of the GFC, the UK successfully negotiated 28 targets to deliver a safer and more sustainable future for the planet, including targets calling for increased global action on the most harmful pesticides in agriculture – working with stakeholders to support the availability of safe and affordable alternatives for farmers around the world.
Jan. 05 2024
Source Page: MSN 1914 (M) The carriage of dangerous goods and marine pollutants: amendments to international standardsFound: cargo, terminal operators, and other parties involved in the transportation of dangerous goods and bulk chemicals
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of divergence of UK and EU chemicals safety regimes on (a) the chemicals value chain and (b) downstream product manufacturers.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Based on our commitment to having control of our own laws, the UK implemented its own independent chemicals regulatory framework, including UK REACH, from 1 January 2021. Now that we have left the EU, we have the freedom to make our own regulatory decisions. We will take action where we believe there is a strong case that there is a risk to human health or the environment that needs to be addressed. To initiate action under UK REACH, the risks, costs, and benefits are assessed from a GB perspective.
Defra commissioned an initial evaluation of UK REACH, which was undertaken by an independent contractor. This will be published soon. It concluded it was too early to draw any conclusions on the impact of divergence on the chemical industry and on human health and the environment. These areas will be explored in further stages of the evaluation.
Asked by: Rennie, Willie (Scottish Liberal Democrats - North East Fife)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to prevent perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from entering into (a) the environment and (b) water sources.
Answered by McAllan, Màiri - Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition
The Scottish Government works with the UK and Welsh Governments on UK chemicals regulation to ensure the continued protection of the environment and people’s health. We have been clear that the risks the continued use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) present is a priority issue for addressing through the UK Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (UK REACH) regulation. This regulation is the principal mechanism for controlling the supply and use of chemicals on the GB market. Earlier this year the Health and Safety Executive, as the Agency for UK REACH, published a detailed report recommending regulatory steps to control the risks of PFAS. Scottish Government supports the recommended prioritised approach, starting with a UK REACH restriction on the use of PFAS in fire-fighting foams with further, wider ranging PFAS restriction proposals to follow. This will build on existing bans on three PFAS through the international Stockholm convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, to which the UK is a signatory. SEPA supports site operators or users of PFAS-based substances to meet their legal obligations under national legislation. SEPA has worked with Scottish Water for a number of years on the Chemicals Investigation Programme, a UK-wide initiative coordinated by UK Water Industry Research, which investigates pollutants in wastewater treatment work influents and effluents and the effectiveness of treatment options for a range of substances including certain PFAS.
For drinking water sources, measures will be introduced as part of the Scottish Government's commitment to align with the EU’s recast Drinking Water Directive which will require Catchment Risk Assessments to be undertaken. Where there is a risk of compliance failures for substances such as PFAS, remedial action must be taken. Work to align with the requirements of this Directive is currently underway with a compliance deadline of 2027.
Dec. 06 2023
Source Page: Oil and gas: EEMS databaseFound: Aggregation This note describes an improvement to the way in which the Enhanced EEMS will report the chemicals
Mentions:
1: Richard Holden (Con - North West Durham) .526(106) amend the international code for the construction and equipment of ships carrying dangerous chemicals - Speech Link
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the written statement entitled Regulation Update of 17 May 2023, HCWS779, what recent progress his Department has made on administering the ban on animal testing for chemicals used as cosmetic ingredients over the long-term.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Home Secretary’s written statement of 17 May 2023 announced a ban on new licences for animal testing of chemicals used exclusively as cosmetics ingredients, carried out under chemicals (REACH) regulations for the purpose of worker and environmental safety.
The Home Office has reviewed existing ‘legacy’ licences and engaged with the relevant companies. I can confirm that no animal testing is now authorised in Great Britain of chemicals that are exclusively intended to be used as ingredients in cosmetics products.
The Home Office is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs, to review the effective administration of the ban over the longer term. This will have due regard to the needs of the science industry, the need to ensure worker and environmental safety, and the need to protect animals from unnecessary harm.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackle levels of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in the River Mersey.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are working to assess levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) occurring in the environment, their sources, and their potential risks to inform policy and regulatory approaches. This includes the Environment Agency’s monitoring of PFAS levels in the River Mersey as part of a national programme of PFAS monitoring. We are committed to protecting human health and the environment.
Following a ban on specific PFAS chemicals more than a decade ago (notably perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)) we have seen a decline in the level of these chemicals in our rivers.
We have welcomed the Health and Safety Executive’s publication of the PFAS Regulatory Management Options Analysis (RMOA). We have accepted the RMOA’s recommendations, which include work under UK REACH to reduce PFAS emissions by considering restrictions. This will begin by considering a restriction on PFAS in fire-fighting foams.