HC Deb 07 March 2003 vol 400 cc1281-2W
Norman Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the mandatory substitution of industrial chemicals that are intrinsically hazardous with those that are intrinsically less hazardous; and if she will seek to ensure that the new legislation on chemicals policy being drafted by the EU will determine that the existence of a practical and safer alternative will be sufficient grounds to refuse an authorisation to produce a chemical that has intrinsically hazardous properties. [99218]

Mr. Meacher

As the Government said in its Chemicals Strategy (Sustainable production and use of chemicals, December 1999): Risk reduction strategies should always look at substitution of more hazardous chemicals by safer alternatives." (p34).

The position of the Government on the new EU chemicals strategy, as set out in its Position Statement of December 2002, is in line with this approach. The European Commission is yet to produce legislative proposals. When it does do, the UK will push for the availability of safer alternatives to be a major factor in determining whether an authorisation is refused for production, import or supply of hazardous chemicals meeting the criteria for authorisation.