Written question asked by Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party) on Wednesday, 1 March 2017, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 6 March 2017. It was answered by Baroness Coffey (Conservative) on Tuesday, 7 March 2017 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Microplastics

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce the use of microbeads in products that are not included within the scope of her Department's proposed ban on microbeads.

Answer: We ran a consultation between 20 December 2016 and 28 February 2017 on proposals to ban microbeads in cosmetics and personal care products. The consultation also sought to gather evidence on the extent of the environmental impacts of microplastics, including microbeads, found in other products. We are now reviewing the responses to the consultation and any new evidence will be used to inform future UK actions to protect the marine environment.

Secondary information