Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government on what date they expect to receive the Health and Safety Executive's final restriction opinion on the risks of using lead in ammunition to human health and the environment, which had been due for submission in March 2023.

The UK REACH restriction process relating to lead in ammunition was initiated in 2021 by the then Defra Secretary of State, with the agreement of the Scottish and Welsh Governments. This triggered a process under the UK REACH regulations, with the dossier preparation and opinion process led by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The two consultations which form part of this process both garnered large numbers of responses (2859 and 8159) necessitating extensions to the legislative deadlines in order to take account of the information submitted.

We expect to receive HSE's final restriction opinion on the risks of using lead in ammunition to human health and the environment in autumn 2024. The decision to apply any restrictions, or not to do so, will subsequently be made by the Defra Secretary of State, with the consent of the Scottish and Welsh Ministers.