§ Mr. Gordon MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment her Department has made of the need to tighten controls on persistent chemicals. [134190]
§ Alun MichaelThe UK Government have been working with the European Commission and stakeholders to develop proposals for a new regulatory regime to tighten controls on substances that are very persistent and very bioaccumulative, as well as those that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. The need for a more precautionary approach to managing the risks from these chemicals is set out in the UK382W Chemicals Strategy, published in 1999. This can be found on Defra's website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/ environment/chemicals/ukpolicy.htm
It will be some time before the new EU regulatory system is up and running. In the meantime, we intend to press ahead with encouraging voluntary action in the UK as envisaged in the UK Chemicals Strategy. The Chemical Stakeholder Forum was set up under the Strategy to advise on action to address people's concerns about chemicals. The Forum's criteria for identifying chemicals of concern includes those that are very persistent and very bioaccumulative, as well as those that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. Details of the Forum's activities can also be found at the above website address.
Further information about the forthcoming EU regulatory proposals and the Government's position on these can be found at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/ environment/chemicals/eufuture. htm