Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made an assessment of the impact of hair relaxers containing lye on (a) the health of black women and (b) associated health outcomes and inequalities experienced by black women.

An assessment of the impact of hair relaxers containing lye on the health of, or associated health outcomes experienced by, black women has not been undertaken by the Department.

Lye is already a restricted substance under annex III of the Cosmetics Regulations 2009. There are specific rules in place both for general and professional use of cosmetic products containing this ingredient.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards, in its role as the regulator for cosmetic products, often commissions scientific assessment of the safety of chemicals. If new evidence becomes available, the Government will take the appropriate action to ensure the safety of consumers.