Department for Business and Trade written question – answered at on 8 June 2026.
Vicky Foxcroft
Labour, Lewisham North
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what is the timeline in which his Department plans to introduce the revised testing framework for furniture fire safety proposed in the Office for Product Safety and Standards’ forthcoming consultation.
Vicky Foxcroft
Labour, Lewisham North
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reasons her Department is proposing a sector‑specific UK testing framework for furniture fire safety rather than adopting a general product safety approach.
Kate Dearden
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In its consultation, Product regulation: fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture, the Government has taken an evidence-based approach, informed by extensive stakeholder engagement and the best available fire safety data. We have proposed to retain bespoke sector-specific regulations to maintain a high level of fire safety whilst meaningfully reducing reliance on chemical flame retardants and to ensure requirements remain robust and compliance is consistent.
We will set out a timeline for the development of new standards and the implementation of reforms in the Government Response in due course.
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