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Written question asked by Luke Murphy (Labour) on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 5 January 2026. It was answered by Simon Lightwood (Labour) on Monday, 5 January 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.


Safety Belts: Babies

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential for a safe, accredited inspection or certification process to allow second-hand infant car seats in good condition to be re-used; and whether she will review current guidance in light of the environmental and social impacts of requiring these items to be discarded.

Answer

The Department does not provide specific guidance on the use of second-hand infant car seats and has not evaluated the feasibility of an inspection or certification process for such products.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) advises against using second-hand car seats for several reasons, including the risk of hidden damage from previous collisions. Such damage can compromise the seat’s structural integrity even when no visible defects are present. Detecting these issues would require complex and costly assessment techniques, making an accredited inspection or certification process impractical.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
101079
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Babies Safety belts Seating
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk