Product Regulation and Metrology Bill [HL]

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle Excerpts

Report stage
Wednesday 5th March 2025 Lords Chamber

Moved by

[Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle]

26: After Clause 2, insert the following new Clause—
“Period product safety: regulations and requirements(1) Within one year of the day on which this Act is passed, the Secretary of State must, by regulations under section 1, make provision to reduce risks as defined in section 1(4) presented by period products, including those for single use and for re-use.(2) For the purposes of this section, period products consist of items intended to collect menstrual blood.(3) Within one year of the day on which this Act is passed, the Secretary of State must also make provision about period products requirements by regulations under section 2.(4) Regulations in accordance with subsection (3) must set out product requirements for the production, use, marking, marketing, testing, approval and provision of information (including information about risk) of period products.”Member's explanatory statement
This amendment intends to bring in regulation of period products, given the human and environmental health risks they represent.

[Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (GP)]

My Lords, I want to put on the record my thanks to the Minister and his team for taking extensive time to speak with me about the safety of period products. I thank the noble Lord for acknowledging, from the Dispatch Box and in meetings, that there is a need for action in this area. But the reality is that, if we leave this to the general, broader consideration of product safety, this will take a considerable period of time, when there are people today—and right now—walking into shops and buying products that will do them, and the environment, harm. This amendment, which we debated a week ago, says that there will be government action within one year. In the interests of public safety and environmental safety, I ask to test the opinion of the House.