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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the planned timetable is for (a) consulting on and (b) bringing into effect a ban on plastic microbeads in cosmetic and personal care products.

In September 2016 the UK government announced its intention to ban microbeads in cosmetics and personal care products. We are currently running a consultation on our proposals, which end on 28th February 2017. Subject to the results of the consultation we anticipate bringing in legislation for England by October 2017, with a ban on manufacture beginning in January 2018 and a ban on sale in June 2018.