Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Health and Safety Executive plans to publish (a) next steps and its formal response to the consultation on proposals for changing GB CLP and GB BPR and (b) draft legislation to enact those proposals.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) response to the Chemicals Legislative Reform Proposals consultation, which took place from 23 June 2025 to 18 August 2025, is expected to be published in early 2026 subject to Ministerial approval.
The consultation set out HSE’s proposals to reform three pieces of chemicals legislation: Great Britain Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR); Great Britain Classification, Labelling and Packaging (GB CLP); and Great Britain Prior Informed Consent for the export and import of hazardous chemicals (GB PIC).
The approach to chemicals reforms and policy will be set out in full in the consultation response alongside how HSE plans to legislate to implement any changes. This will include consideration of using the powers in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to question 86529, whether divergence between EU and GB mandatory hazard classifications for the same substance will change under HSE proposals for changing GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
From 23 June to 18 August 2025, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) consulted on proposals to reform three pieces of chemicals legislation: Great Britain Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR); Great Britain Classification, Labelling and Packaging (GB CLP); and Great Britain Prior Informed Consent for the export and import of hazardous chemicals (GB PIC).
The reform proposals suggest procedural changes to how the GB Classification system operates but do not propose changes to the underlying scientific criteria used for classifying and labelling chemicals. These criteria are set out in Annexes I and II to the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (known as the GB CLP Regulation).
The final proposals for GB CLP will be confirmed as part of HSE’s response to the Chemicals Legislative Reform Proposals consultation. It is expected to be published in early 2026 subject to Ministerial approval.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to question 86529, what proportion of EU hazard classifications adopted since 1 January 2021 have received (a) no mandatory classification and (b) a different mandatory classification in GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Since 2021, the mandatory classification and labelling of 232 chemicals have been formally adopted by the EU. In Great Britain (GB), the mandatory classification and labelling of 206 chemicals have been formally adopted, over the same period with the remaining 26 chemicals due to be adopted by GB in June 2026.
Of the 232 chemicals formally adopted by the EU, the GB MCL classification has diverged from the EU classification for 29 chemicals, which is about 12%.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the Environmental Principles Policy Statement was considered by the Health and Safety Executive in developing legislative proposals for changing GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging and GB Biocidal Product Regulation and GB Prior Informed Consent.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has considered the Environmental Principles Policy Statement throughout the development of its legislative proposals for amendments to its three chemicals regimes: Great Britain Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR), Great Britain Classification, Labelling and Packaging (GB CLP), and GB Prior Informed Consent for the export and import of hazardous chemicals (GB PIC). Additionally, one of the fundamental principles underpinning this work is that protections for human health, animal health and the environment should be maintained.
This also supports HSE’s strategic objective to ensure people feel safe where they live, where they work, and in their environment, as set out in ‘Protecting People and Places’ – the HSE Strategy 2022 to 2032.
HSE will publish a response to its formal consultation on Chemicals Legislative Reform Proposals, which took place from 23 June 2025 to 18 August 2025, in early 2026 subject to Ministerial approval. The response will include plans on how HSE intends to legislate to implement any changes.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which active substances used in biocidal products are approved for use in the UK and not approved in the EU by (a) name of active substance, (b) product type (c) CAS Registry Number and (d) entity name.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The only active substance that is currently approved for use in biocidal products under the GB Biocidal Product Regulation (BPR) in GB, and which is not approved in the EU under EU BPR, is sulfuryl fluoride, in product types 8 and 18, CAS 2699-79-8. The entity that supported the first approval of sulfuryl fluoride is Dow AgroSciences GmbH, and the company supporting the renewal of the approval in GB is Douglas BLG BVBA.
The EU BPR continues to apply in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that migration from Employment Support Allowance to Universal Credit does not adversely impact disabled claimants financially.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is committed to ensuring that customers, including those with disabilities, are supported when moving from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to Universal Credit (UC). For those moved under managed migration, we provide transitional protection to their legacy benefit entitlement at the point of claiming UC.
In addition to transitional protection, customers receiving income-related ESA receive a two-week run-on of their legacy benefits to ensure the move to UC is as smooth as possible.
To support customers moving from ESA who require more support to claim the Department has developed the Enhanced Support Journey. The Enhanced Support Journey helps ESA claimants with potential barriers through proactive measures such as outbound calls, system checks, and home visits to ensure they are not left without support during migration. Key features include safeguards to prevent benefit termination before a UC claim, tailored adjustments like alternative communication channels, and national Complex Case Coaches for vulnerable claimants.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which chemical substances have received EU Harmonised Classification and GB Mandatory Classification since 1 January 2021 by (a) chemical name, (b) European Community number, (c) CAS Registry Number, (d) EU harmonised classification (i) hazard class and category code and (ii) hazard statement code and (e) GB Mandatory Classification (i) Hazard class and category code, (ii) Hazard statement code and (iii) date of entry into legal effect.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Since 1 January 2021, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as the regulator, has acted as the Agency for the assimilated Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures as amended in Great Britain (or the GB CLP Regulation).
HSE is responsible for the GB mandatory classification and labelling system (GB MCL) and for updating the GB MCL List on the HSE website with new/revised or deleted entries in accordance with a timetable set out in UK law. The GB MCL List entries provide information on chemical substances that have GB MCLs including: a) chemical name, (b) European Community number, (c) CAS Registry Number, (e) GB Mandatory Classification and Labelling (i) Hazard class and category code, (ii) Hazard statement code and (iii) date of entry into legal effect.
The GB MCL List does not include information on the EU harmonised classification and labelling, hazard class and category code and hazard statement code for these chemical substances. This information is available on the European Chemicals Agency website in the unofficial ‘Table of harmonised entries containing all updates to the harmonised classification and labelling of hazardous substances, available in Table 3 of Annex VI to the EU CLP Regulation’.
The GB MCL List includes 4430 entries. Since 1 January 2021, 206 chemical substances have received GB MCLs, following a recommendation by HSE as the Agency and a Ministerial Decision made with the consent of Scottish and Welsh Ministers. The GB MCL entries for the 206 entries, including the requested information, are published in the GB MCL List on the HSE website – please see https://www.hse.gov.uk/chemical-classification/classification/mcl-list.htm.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that Lead Ministers for Disability (a) engage with (i) disabled people's organisations, (ii) people with lived experience and (iii) other relevant civil society stakeholders and (b) incorporate that engagement into departmental policy.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 3 December 2024, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I announced new Lead Ministers for Disability in every Government department.
In addition to their day-to-day Ministerial portfolios, the Lead Ministers for Disability have a specific responsibility to break down barriers to opportunity right across the Government’s long-term missions, and to fulfil the manifesto commitment that this Government will champion the rights of disabled people and work with them so that their views and voices are at the heart of everything we do.
To do this effectively, I and my fellow Lead Ministers for Disability work together across Government and routinely engage with disabled people and those with lived experience, along with a broad range of disabled people’s organisations and other external stakeholders. Feedback I have received suggests that this engagement is well received and beneficial to all involved.
The Government does not intend to publish an annual or periodic report on the work of Lead Ministers for Disability. However, I chair regular meetings of the group throughout the year, to ensure that the needs and rights of disabled people are being properly considered and addressed across all Government departments.
To date, we have met in December 2024, March and June 2025 and are expecting to meet again in the near future.
Although we do not publish the minutes, outcomes and performance monitoring for meetings of Lead Ministers for Disability, the agendas for the meetings so far have consisted of updates from Lead Ministers for Disability on progress across their departments’ policies which particularly impact disabled people; updates on the British Sign Language Act 2022 and the requirement for Departments to develop and publish five year plans on how they will improve the use of BSL (all published in July 2025); discussion of issues relating to collection across Government of data on disability; and the Government’s intention to develop a Plan for Disability.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to publish the (a) minutes, (b) outcomes and (c) performance monitoring for meetings of Lead Ministers for Disability.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 3 December 2024, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I announced new Lead Ministers for Disability in every Government department.
In addition to their day-to-day Ministerial portfolios, the Lead Ministers for Disability have a specific responsibility to break down barriers to opportunity right across the Government’s long-term missions, and to fulfil the manifesto commitment that this Government will champion the rights of disabled people and work with them so that their views and voices are at the heart of everything we do.
To do this effectively, I and my fellow Lead Ministers for Disability work together across Government and routinely engage with disabled people and those with lived experience, along with a broad range of disabled people’s organisations and other external stakeholders. Feedback I have received suggests that this engagement is well received and beneficial to all involved.
The Government does not intend to publish an annual or periodic report on the work of Lead Ministers for Disability. However, I chair regular meetings of the group throughout the year, to ensure that the needs and rights of disabled people are being properly considered and addressed across all Government departments.
To date, we have met in December 2024, March and June 2025 and are expecting to meet again in the near future.
Although we do not publish the minutes, outcomes and performance monitoring for meetings of Lead Ministers for Disability, the agendas for the meetings so far have consisted of updates from Lead Ministers for Disability on progress across their departments’ policies which particularly impact disabled people; updates on the British Sign Language Act 2022 and the requirement for Departments to develop and publish five year plans on how they will improve the use of BSL (all published in July 2025); discussion of issues relating to collection across Government of data on disability; and the Government’s intention to develop a Plan for Disability.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish an (a) annual and (b) periodic report on the work of Lead Ministers for Disability.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 3 December 2024, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I announced new Lead Ministers for Disability in every Government department.
In addition to their day-to-day Ministerial portfolios, the Lead Ministers for Disability have a specific responsibility to break down barriers to opportunity right across the Government’s long-term missions, and to fulfil the manifesto commitment that this Government will champion the rights of disabled people and work with them so that their views and voices are at the heart of everything we do.
To do this effectively, I and my fellow Lead Ministers for Disability work together across Government and routinely engage with disabled people and those with lived experience, along with a broad range of disabled people’s organisations and other external stakeholders. Feedback I have received suggests that this engagement is well received and beneficial to all involved.
The Government does not intend to publish an annual or periodic report on the work of Lead Ministers for Disability. However, I chair regular meetings of the group throughout the year, to ensure that the needs and rights of disabled people are being properly considered and addressed across all Government departments.
To date, we have met in December 2024, March and June 2025 and are expecting to meet again in the near future.
Although we do not publish the minutes, outcomes and performance monitoring for meetings of Lead Ministers for Disability, the agendas for the meetings so far have consisted of updates from Lead Ministers for Disability on progress across their departments’ policies which particularly impact disabled people; updates on the British Sign Language Act 2022 and the requirement for Departments to develop and publish five year plans on how they will improve the use of BSL (all published in July 2025); discussion of issues relating to collection across Government of data on disability; and the Government’s intention to develop a Plan for Disability.