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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of microplastics in the environment, in the context of the potential impact of microplastics on levels of prevalence of heart attacks and strokes.

Under the 2022/23 UK REACH Work Programme, Defra initiated a research proposal to investigate the risks of intentionally added microplastics. It did not look specifically into any links between microplastics and the prevalence of heart attacks and strokes, but the evidence project has reviewed their emissions, and the risks they pose both to human health and the environment. It also included a socio-economic assessment. It will advise on the most effective measures to address any risks and help identify wider evidence gaps that need to be addressed to support a more strategic approach to managing intentionally added microplastics. This project is expected to report in early 2025. Defra and the Welsh and Scottish Governments will consider its findings once complete.