Government's post-Brexit chemicals regulations could promote animal testing - Hayman

Monday, 25 February 2019 09:14

Sue Hayman MP, Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary, speaking ahead of the vote on regulating chemicals post-Brexit, said: “The legislation that the government has brought forward today is half-baked and confused. In particular, there remain serious questions about how the regulatory framework will be funded. This is shockingly irresponsible: thousands of jobs, as well as the health and safety of everyone in the UK, depend on us getting this right....Request free trial

Sue Hayman MP, Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary, speaking ahead of the vote on regulating chemicals post-Brexit, said:

“The legislation that the government has brought forward today is half-baked and confused. In particular, there remain serious questions about how the regulatory framework will be funded. This is shockingly irresponsible: thousands of jobs, as well as the health and safety of everyone in the UK, depend on us getting this right.

“Michael Gove’s tireless PR efforts cannot change his party’s abysmal record on animal welfare – not least because the Tories are today trying to wave through legislation that they know may lead to an increase in animal testing.

“If we want to avoid extra costs for business, to save jobs, to ensure humans are safe and to protect animals and the environment, then the UK must remain a member of REACH and form a new customs union with the EU.”

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Notes to editors

· MPs are due to debate secondary legislation in Parliament today on a post-Brexit chemicals regulation framework. Labour will be voting against the government, in part because Ministers will not rule out an increase in animal testing as a result of the new arrangements.
· The HSE has suffered decades of cuts. Between 2010 and 2017, its budget was cut by 40%.
· This SI confirms that chemical regulation will be administered by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) but does not commit to a budget, which could mean that the HSE will not be equipped to take on the task of regulating all chemicals in the UK after Brexit.
· The chemicals industry is the UK’s second largest manufacturing sector after the food and drinks industry. The sector accounted for £12.7 billion of the UK economy’s Gross Value Added and 95,000 direct jobs in 2017.
· The SI also strips away layers of supporting committees at EU level which ensure decisions are based on the best scientific advice.
· REACH is the main EU legislation for the regulation of chemicals in the EU. It requires substances that are manufactured or imported into the EU (in quantities of more than 1 tonne) to be registered with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and it provides a framework by which the use of hazardous substances can be restricted.
· In evidence to the Lord’s EU Energy and Energy and Environment Sub Committee, Defra Minister Dr Thérèse Coffey said: “We would have to undertake a regulatory approach, and if that required animal testing that would require animal testing”.
· Labour is concerned that the implementation of UK REACH may result in the duplication of testing on animals as well as lower environmental and health and safety standards.