Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will meet with representatives of manufacturers to discuss the merits of making antifreeze less attractive to cats to prevent poisoning.

Antifreeze supplied for domestic use is regulated under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. This requires it to be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use when placed on the market. In addition, chemical products including antifreeze are also regulated by European Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures. This aims to protect people and the environment from the effects of hazardous chemicals by requiring suppliers to provide information about the hazards present and to package them safely.

The Government advises users to read the label carefully and always use in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If there is a label on the product warning that it is harmful to consume the contents then it should also be assumed that this applies to animals.

The Department would consider positively any representations from the antifreeze industry to meet to discuss the safety of their products.