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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to establish a national chemicals regulator to improve the (a) monitoring and (b) management of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination.

Defra and the Scottish and Welsh Governments work closely with regulators and government agencies to prioritise issues for regulatory action in the UK relating to chemicals. We are working across government to help us assess levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) occurring in the environment, their sources and potential risks to inform policy and regulatory approaches. The revised Environmental Improvement Plan, which will be introduced in 2025, will set out the Government’s approach to managing PFAS.