Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will introduce a ban on plastic microbeads in cosmetic products similar to that introduced in the US.

The UK and neighbouring countries are working with industry to achieve a voluntary phase out of plastic microbeads in cosmetics and soaps.

The issue was discussed at the OSPAR Conference in 2014 and the cosmetics industry in Europe has committed to act.