Consumer Products (Control of Biocides) Bill [HL]

Baroness Brinton Excerpts

2nd reading
Friday 17th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Brinton (LD)]

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Freeman of Steventon. Her experience in explaining science was much in evidence in her contribution today. I thank and congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett of Manor Castle, on putting forward the Bill and securing today’s Second Reading. She remains unafraid to raise issues that many would prefer we did not speak about, even if there are threats to our own safety and well-being. The noble Baroness, Lady Sugg, reminded us that antimicrobial resistance is growing and a danger to us all.

Other noble Lords have already covered the purpose of the Bill. As the noble Viscount, Lord Stansgate, noted, it is to limit the wide use of biocide-containing products, including soaps, mouthwashes and clothes. Why is this necessary? As other noble Lords have said, clinical specialists are saying loud and clear that these consumer products pose a threat to public health. This is not melodramatic. Over the last few years, we have had a number of Questions and debates in your Lordships’ House on the risk of AMR. We know that the NHS is very concerned about this, recommending that GPs think very carefully before prescribing antibiotics because of the risk of antimicrobial resistance.

The Bill does not address medicinal uses of antibiotics. It proposes to curtail the use of antimicrobial products that we have in our homes. We are bombarded with marketing and advertising for them every single day. As the briefing from the Centre for Long-Term Resilience says, using an antibacterial soap provides no advantage to the average consumer and use by the general public, who have no special medical need for them, can undermine the effectiveness of antibiotics when they are needed.

The example given by the noble Baroness, Lady Freeman, about checking antimicrobial products using unapproved biocides was very helpful. I hope the Minister will ensure that is looked at. I am reminded that, during debates on the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill and an SI two years ago, I raised the issue of what has happened after Brexit and the UK Health and Safety Executive’s delays in getting the chemical database for products ready. I wonder whether this issue is being looked at in relation to the UK’s new database.

The noble Baroness, Lady Anelay, spoke of the importance of the UK working internationally on this matter. The World Health Organization has been warning of inappropriate overuse of biocides for over a decade. If we do not reduce our use of unnecessary antimicrobial products, we risk resistant bacteria causing severe disease that cannot be treated. Yesterday it was reported that Klebsiella pneumoniae, a dangerous bacterium responsible for pneumonia, has been discovered in Ukraine. Experts there are particularly alarmed because the bacterium is resistant to drugs. Scientists believe it poses a significant threat to public health.

The noble Baroness, Lady Finlay, with her medical expertise, spoke of research. Our doctors and scientists are warning us but the makers of consumer products are not listening, and they are the first who should listen.

Those living with immunosuppression understand the risks all too well. Those with my condition, who take regular immune suppressing medication, have a real concern about bacterial resistance to drugs. That tends to focus the mind. I am glad that the noble Lord, Lord Browne, referred to Bill Frankland. I was treated by him over 50 years ago. He was an excellent immunologist and, very unusually, he recognised my first autoimmune disease long before any of the other medics did. I am eternally grateful to him for that.

The description given by the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett, of the use of silver in reusable menstrual products is very worrying. There is no general information available for girls and women on this issue. The noble Baroness, Lady Sugg, told us that other countries are beginning to take action on some of these biocides—so should the UK.

The noble Baroness, Lady Finlay, talked about the medical problems already faced by the general public as biocides enter our bodies and the long-term invisible health issues that we and future generations face. As a society, we appear to be walking blindfolded into a new world of invisible and long-term damage to our bodies.

The noble and learned Lord, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, reminded us that we need to remember the consequences of any legislation on the law and the role of Parliament. His view is that the Bill is about being clear where responsibility lies—helpfully, with the manufacturers.

I think the Bill from the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett, is the first attempt to limit the use of these antimicrobial products. I think she is starting an important debate that needs to be heard, especially by the companies manufacturing and advertising these products. Will the Minister at the very least have a round table to get the manufacturers together with the Health and Safety Executive to cover the issues raised by the noble Baronesses, Lady Bennett and Lady Freeman? We also need a wider public campaign because we all need to understand that, far from being helpful products, they could make the UK a less safe place.