Environment Bill — Schedule 20 — Amendment of REACH legislation — Chemical Regulation Standards — 26 Jan 2021 at 20:30

The majority of MPs voted not to require the standard of chemical regulation standards to be at least that which applies in the European Union.

MPs were considering the Environment Bill.^[1][2]

The amendment rejected in this vote was:

• Amendment 24, page 244, line 19, at end insert—
• ‘(1A) Regulations made under this paragraph must not regress upon the protections or standards of any Article or Annex of the REACH Regulation.
• (1B) Subject to sub-paragraph (1A), the Secretary of State—
• (a) must make regulations under this paragraph to maintain, and
• (b) may make regulations under this paragraph to exceed parity of all protections and standards of chemical regulation with any new or amended regulations of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the regulation of chemicals.

The rejected amendment was accompanied by the following statement from its proposer:

• This amendment would set a minimum of protections under REACH and remove the possibility that a Secretary of State might lower standards than are in place currently, whilst reserving the right for them to set higher standards should they choose.
• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Environment Bill, Parliament.uk
• [2] Explanatory notes to the Environment Bill, 30 January 2020, Parliament.uk
• [3] Environment Bill as of 27 November 2020. Parliament.uk

Debate in Parliament |