Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 24102 on Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances, whether his Department has conducted work into assessing the suitability of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance alternatives.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Beyond the preliminary analysis of PFAS alternatives included in the Regulatory Management Options Analysis published in April 2023, more detailed analysis is conducted as part of the preparation of a restriction dossier proposal by the Health and Safety Executive as the Agency for UK REACH. The UK REACH dossier for a restriction on PFAS in fire-fighting foams is due to be published for consultation in March 2025.
Defra also supports international efforts in addressing PFAS risks. This includes support for projects undertaken by the OECD that assess availability of suitable PFAS alternatives for key sectors.