Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to establish new statutory action standards for the use of PFAS and POPs for fire-resistant purposes in furniture (a) manufactured and (b) sold in the UK.

The Government does not have plans to establish new standards for the use of chemicals in furniture manufactured or sold in the UK. The policy paper the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture, published in January 2025, sets out our plans to reform the Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 with the aim of maintaining a high level of fire safety while facilitating a reduction in chemical flame-retardant use.

Any chemicals used in the manufacture of furniture placed on the UK market must comply with all relevant UK chemicals legislation, including UK REACH and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.