Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that products imported by businesses and retailers are free of asbestos.

Under UK law, businesses placing consumer products on the market, including importers, are responsible for ensuring they are safe. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) and local authorities have powers to require unsafe products be withdrawn from sale. Local Authorities are overseeing business recalls of products containing asbestos, and OPSS has notified major online marketplaces so they can swiftly identify and remove listings of affected products.

OPSS coordinates activity at ports and borders to identify and block non-compliant imports, and has asked local authorities in border locations to increase checks for asbestos-contaminated products.