Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that menstrual products are subject to the (a) the UK Medical Devices Regulations 2002, (b) UK Cosmetics regulation and (c) other relevant regulations.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Period products are not regulated as a medical device in the UK. They are regulated under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, which require that only safe products, in their normal or reasonably foreseeable use, are placed on the market. There are obligations on producers and distributors to, where reasonable, sample test products to check safety. During the passage of the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, the Government committed to consult on period product safety.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the proposed roadmap for the phasing out animal testing for chemicals being developed by the European Commission.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to supporting alternatives to animals in science and will publish a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption later this year. We have reviewed the European Commission's (EC) Life Sciences Strategy and engaged with the European Medicines Agency on accelerating the science-led adoption of alternatives for a range of uses of animals in science, including chemicals, medicines and cosmetics. Government officials regularly attend international meetings to collaborate on best practice and consider approaches to reducing reliance on animal testing, including attending European Commission workshops on the EC roadmap to phasing out animal testing for chemicals.
Asked by: Leigh Ingham (Labour - Stafford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the regulation of cosmetic procedures; and what estimate he has made of the annual cost of treating complications from such procedures.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce legal restrictions which will ensure that the highest risk cosmetic procedures are brought into Care Quality Commission regulation and can only be performed by specified regulated healthcare professionals.
In addition, the Government has also committed to legislating to introduce a licensing scheme for lower risk procedures through powers granted through the Health and Care Act 2022. Under the proposed scheme, which will be operated by local authorities, practitioners will be required to obtain a licence to perform specified cosmetic procedures, and the premises from which they operate will also need to be licensed. To protect children and young people, the Government is also committed to mandating age restrictions for cosmetic procedures.
Further details of the Government’s commitments are available in the Government’s response to the 2023 consultation on the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/licensing-of-non-surgical-cosmetic-procedures
The Department does not have data on the annual costs to the National Health Service of treating complications from cosmetic procedures. We are exploring ways to improve our understanding of the scale of the cost to the NHS.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban the use of the chemical trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide in gel nail polish, following the decision of the EU to do so.
Answered by Lord Leong - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide (TPO) was added to the GB Mandatory Classification List (GB MCL) under the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation in February 2025. As per the requirements of Article 15 of the UK Cosmetic Regulation, Government is taking steps to prohibit the use of TPO in cosmetic products in Great Britain. Full details of the amendments to the Cosmetic Regulation, including any transitional provisions, will be prepared in due course. The first stage will be to ensure no new cosmetic products containing TPO are placed on the market from August 2026.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the proposed funding by the European Commission for the development of new approach methodologies which do not involve the use of live animals in experiments.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to supporting alternatives to animals in science and will publish a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption later this year. We have reviewed the European Commission's (EC) Life Sciences Strategy and engaged with the European Medicines Agency on accelerating the science-led adoption of alternatives for a range of uses of animals in science, including chemicals, medicines and cosmetics. Government officials regularly attend international meetings to collaborate on best practice and consider approaches to reducing reliance on animal testing, including attending European Commission workshops on the EC roadmap to phasing out animal testing for chemicals.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of safety regulations for the use of (a) limonene and (b) linalool in consumer products.
Answered by Justin Madders
Limonene and linalool are used in various consumer products including cosmetics and household cleaners. The use of these chemicals in cosmetics is regulated by the UK Cosmetic Regulation and both chemicals are currently included in the list of restricted ingredients for use in cosmetics.
Both chemicals are also found in household cleaners, which are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR). These regulations require that only safe products can be sold.
The government is confident that the current restrictions are sufficient to ensure that products are safe. However, we keep our regulations under review to ensure that products remain safe.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the safety of (a) over the counter and (b) prescription grade sun cream in England.
Answered by Justin Madders
Legislation requires that cosmetics, including sun creams, must be safe. To ensure that products are safe before sale, a safety assessment must be completed by a qualified assessor.
Sun protection products which have been recommended by the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (ACBS) for NHS prescribing for specified conditions are listed in Part XV of the Drug Tariff. Products which are not medicines or medical devices may be prescribed by clinicians. If a sun cream is prescribed that is not classified as a medical device it will still need to meet the safety requirements in the Cosmetic Regulation.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to introduce (a) subsidised costs for (i) medical oversight and (ii) job support schemes and (b) other financial assistance for non-medical aesthetic practitioners.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to taking action to address longstanding concerns about the safety of the cosmetics sector and has been exploring options for further regulation in this area. In doing so, the Government recognises the contribution the cosmetics industry makes to the economy, the entrepreneurship it fosters, and the employment opportunities it provides. Ministers recognise that Government action in this space must be proportionate if it is to protect the public from harm, whilst not unnecessarily restricting the activities of legitimate businesses. Any future changes to the regulation of the sector would be subject to public consultation, impact assessments, and the parliamentary procedure.
We will set out the details of our approach in our response to the consultation on the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, which we will publish at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to publish (a) a consultation and (b) an impact assessment before implementing regulations affecting non-medical aesthetic practitioners.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to taking action to address longstanding concerns about the safety of the cosmetics sector and has been exploring options for further regulation in this area. In doing so, the Government recognises the contribution the cosmetics industry makes to the economy, the entrepreneurship it fosters, and the employment opportunities it provides. Ministers recognise that Government action in this space must be proportionate if it is to protect the public from harm, whilst not unnecessarily restricting the activities of legitimate businesses. Any future changes to the regulation of the sector would be subject to public consultation, impact assessments, and the parliamentary procedure.
We will set out the details of our approach in our response to the consultation on the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, which we will publish at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered (a) requiring non-medical practitioners to be shadowed during treating grade two aesthetic procedures and (b) undertaking an independent review of (i) statistics and (ii) petition responses to inform the development of a regulatory model that (A) safeguards public health and (B) supports (1) businesses and (2) (a) female entrepreneurs and (b) other working parents in the aesthetics sector.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to taking action to address longstanding concerns about the safety of the cosmetics sector and has been exploring options for further regulation in this area. In doing so, the Government recognises the contribution the cosmetics industry makes to the economy, the entrepreneurship it fosters, and the employment opportunities it provides. Ministers recognise that Government action in this space must be proportionate if it is to protect the public from harm, whilst not unnecessarily restricting the activities of legitimate businesses. Any future changes to the regulation of the sector would be subject to public consultation, impact assessments, and the parliamentary procedure.
We will set out the details of our approach in our response to the consultation on the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, which we will publish at the earliest opportunity.