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Product Regulation and Metrology Bill [Lords] 2025-04-01
01 April 2025
Lead MP
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
EconomyBrexit
Other Contributors: 68
At a Glance
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds raised concerns about product regulation and metrology bill [lords] 2025-04-01 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
Jonathan Reynolds, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, made a statement on the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill. He emphasised that the primary mission of his government is stronger economic growth which needs to be felt in high streets and communities, reversing 15 years of stagnation. The bill aims to provide shops and small businesses with a more level playing field against online marketplaces and big tech giants while ensuring modern protections for consumers and businesses. It allows the UK to take back control over product regulation post-Brexit by repatriating powers from the EU, aligning or diverging standards as needed without being forced into dynamic alignment with EU regulations.
Desmond Swayne
Con
New Forest West
Question
He questioned the use of 'metrology' and whether it is an attempt to disguise a power grab.
Minister reply
Reynolds stated that the Bill was planned by the previous Government due to the need to repatriate powers from the EU post-Brexit, ensuring pragmatic control over product regulation.
Adam Thompson
Lab
Erewash
Question
He agreed with international alignment in standards for advanced manufacturing.
Minister reply
Reynolds thanked him and stated that the Bill provides powers to align or diverge from international standards, enabling decisions on specific cases.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Question
He expressed concerns about dynamic alignment with EU regulations.
Minister reply
Reynolds assured that the Bill does not decide how to use its powers and clarified it is necessary for post-Brexit product regulation.
John Hayes
Con
South Holland and The Deepings
Question
He inquired about the Government's intention regarding UK standards.
Minister reply
Reynolds confirmed that they intend to promote recognition of UK standards where appropriate, diverging from EU ones when beneficial.
Chingford and Woodford Green
Question
He asked about enhancing the UK's position as a leader in setting global standards.
Minister reply
Reynolds stated that the intention is to cement the UK’s status as a world leader, recognising the benefits of high consumer protection standards.
Sammy Wilson
DUP
East Antrim
Question
He questioned how EU laws are referenced in the Bill without taking the UK back to EU regulations.
Minister reply
Reynolds explained that it is necessary for post-Brexit regulation, ensuring the ability to regulate product standards where alignment or divergence benefits the economy.
Graham Stringer
Lab
Blackley and Middleton South
Question
He stated that the House can regulate without this Bill and asked about dynamic realignment with EU regulations.
Minister reply
Reynolds clarified clause 2(7), stating that it allows for alignment or divergence as needed, based on economic interest.
John Hayes
Con
South Holland and The Deepings
Question
He emphasised the need to avoid EU standards becoming a default.
Minister reply
Reynolds agreed and reiterated that decisions will be made based on economic interest, ensuring freedom from default alignment.
Jerome Mayhew
Con
Broadland and Fakenham
Question
He referenced a previous statement about delegated powers carrying risks.
Minister reply
Reynolds acknowledged the concerns but stated that they have removed Henry VIII powers, introduced consultation requirements, and provided additional affirmative resolution procedures.
Andrew Murrison
Con
South West Wiltshire
Question
The Minister is right to praise the House of Lords for making sure that the great British pint is in this Bill as an exclusion from the metrology regulations. However, why are there no provisions included for food items and what entreaties has he received regarding imperial measurements?
Minister reply
We have made changes to assure everyone present and those watching that the pint will be defended and secured in the Bill. I have not received any requests from businesses wishing to sell in imperial measurements, but if there are concerns about provisions, MPs can write to me for further clarification.
Graham Stuart
Con
Beverley and Holderness
Question
Does the Bill give the Secretary of State power to ban any product for whatever reason? What is the justification if this House cannot provide similar powers?
Minister reply
If a product poses danger to public safety, it is expected that action will be taken. The extensive scrutiny in the other place has addressed concerns about delegated powers and the safety of the public.
Welbeck
Question
Why do we need a wide-sweeping Bill if existing processes in the House could achieve similar results?
Minister reply
The Government needs powers to respond to fast-moving changes in technology and regulation. The public expects decisive action from the Secretary of State, Department, and Government.
Question
Does the Minister accept that he has failed to persuade both Opposition Members and the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee in the Lords? Why does the committee remain against his view?
Minister reply
Feedback from political parties often changes when they enter opposition. The Government listened carefully to criticisms, and significant changes have been made to address concerns raised by the committee.
Graham Stuart
Con
Beverley and Holderness
Question
How does the Bill need improvement given that Lord Leong said it was not right?
Minister reply
The Bill has been strengthened with more parliamentary scrutiny, a statutory consultation requirement, and additional use of the affirmative resolution procedure. We have also provided for statutory protection for imperial measurements.
Question
Will the hon. Member give way?
Minister reply
I will not, but before I get into further—[Interruption.] I will say something nice about the right hon. Gentleman in a minute.
Laurence Turner
Lab
Birmingham Northfield
Question
Will he tell the House what possible motive he thinks a Labour Government would have for scrapping the pint?
Minister reply
The Labour motive is all too plain to see. This is a Labour party that voted 48 times to reject the will of the British people, led by the Prime Minister, who sought a second referendum to overturn that will.
Question
My hon. Friend was asked just now whether the previous Government were likely to have introduced this legislation... May I set the record straight? Had we done so, the Secretary of State would have voted against it.
Minister reply
Once again, the Secretary of State has failed to engage on the key issue, which is that British businesses—[Interruption.] It is not funny. British businesses are bleeding out, business confidence is at a record low, unemployment is rising, and all the Government have to talk about is the past, not what they are currently delivering.
Esther McVey
Con
Tatton
Question
Does my hon. Friend agree that this is yet another hammer blow to British businesses? We have had the Labour Government introducing £25 billion of tax with the employers’ national insurance contribution, £5 billion of costs with workers’ rights and a never-ending increase in energy bills as they drive forward on their net zero fantasy...
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend makes a serious and important point. I take the Secretary of State in good faith when he says that he desires for his Government to grow the economy—every Government should, and I believe that this Government should as well—but he must recognise that every single action he takes will take us further away from that goal by piling on the red tape and increasing the level of tax.
Edinburgh West
Question
Does the hon. Gentleman not agree that someone sitting at home watching this will be worried by the argument that it is more important to stick to some anti-EU dogma than it is to protect their children from dangerous products, or to keep dangerous electric bikes off the market and regulate for their safety?
Minister reply
With the very best will in the world, I think the hon. Lady can do a great deal better than that... If there are dangerous products, bring those use cases here, and I believe that across the House we will legislate rapidly to protect our constituents’ safety.
Stella Creasy
Lab/Co-op
Walthamstow
Question
The challenge for many of us who were here during the previous Parliament, when the hon. Member was in office and had the power to diverge, is that we watched what happened and we saw the cost to British business...
Minister reply
I am genuinely intrigued, and I shall sit here and listen to the hon. Lady’s speech later on... Does she want divergence? Does she want us to use our Brexit freedoms, or does she seek to go back to being a rule taker and converge?
Edward Leigh
Con
Gainsborough
Question
This is all very important. There has been some merriment about the pint, but in the novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four” by George Orwell, the hero goes into a pub, and somebody there laments the fact that the despotic regime has just abolished the pint and forced people to drink litres... By the way, when I was Minister for consumer affairs many years ago, we regularly banned things. We did not need this Bill.
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend makes the perfect point that this is precisely what the road to serfdom looks like, whether it is serfdom to an individual Minister at a moment in time or serfdom to an unelected Brussels bureaucratic elite.
Question
Clarification was sought on the alignment with European standards versus other international standards such as US and Commonwealth. The concern is that regulations are moving at pace to default to a European set of standards, which may not be beneficial.
Minister reply
Clause 2(7)(a) is about recognition rather than alignment; it enables mutual recognition where it benefits us, not simply taking European standards as the basis for our own.
Question
The point was made that regulations are moving at pace and will default to a European set of standards. The concern is over whether there would be no rules or regulations if this does not happen.
Minister reply
The House has the ability to legislate against particular harms fast where necessary, and it is important to have proper debate about what goes into law.
Question
Opposition Members believe that there is an ambiguity in the Bill which needs to be cleared up regarding dynamic alignment with the EU.
Minister reply
The hon. Member makes a point about the need for clarity and addressing the asymmetry in constant references to the European Union.
Question
This is a little off-topic, but concerns were raised about tariffs imposed by the US on British exporters.
Minister reply
The policy originates with the President of the United States and we are responding to and engaging with it. The content or detail of those talks will not be shared.
Question
My hon. Friend is making a powerful speech, hoping that the Liberal Democrats do not allow the EU flavouring of the Bill to blind them to its illiberal aspects.
Minister reply
We will soon be back in the House with a Government statement celebrating the ability to conduct our own trade.
Question
The official Opposition do not seem to recognise that if they had legislated properly when we left the European Union, this legislation would not be necessary.
Minister reply
We will not accept any lessons from the Liberal Democrats about what it takes to Brexit successfully and go back to being an independent nation.
Question
I welcome this essential and timely Bill, which upgrades our product safety, regulation and metrology framework, delivering a much-needed boost to protections for consumers.
Minister reply
The Bill achieves that aim, establishing a modern safety regime that will enable companies to operate safely while accounting for the post-Brexit regulatory landscape.
Question
I am interested in the hon. Gentleman’s argument; there has never been a Government who have failed to get regulation through when they feel it is necessary.
Minister reply
If the system we have in place was working, we would not be here debating this, and we would not see these shoddy products on sale or these fires.
Question
My hon. Friend mentions AI. There are three major systems around the world being proposed for artificial intelligence regulation: those in China, the EU and the United States.
Minister reply
I welcome my hon. Friend’s intervention; I will happily admit to the House that I am not an expert on AI.
Richard Holden
Con
Basildon and Billericay
Question
The hon. Gentleman makes a fair point about product regulation, but is the issue not actually about enforcement? The standards already exist, so should we focus on enforcing them rather than creating new legislation?
Minister reply
I disagree that the issue is purely around enforcement. While there are elements of enforcement, separating out one part of a package—a regulatory framework that will future-proof us from other issues—is not a coherent argument.
Question
First, on the point of the customs union, which was skillfully woven into his speech, that would preclude us from reaching any arrangements with the United States, India, the Gulf states or other countries. For my money, if we wish to be part of something without a say in how it would affect our trade policy, that would be a very difficult position to take.
Minister reply
The Secretary of State is right when he talks about us needing to keep up with EU regulations. We definitely need to do that.
Sarah Olney
LD
Richmond Park
Question
The use of hazardous chemical flame retardants in domestic furniture has been criticised by the Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers and in a 2019 Environmental Audit Committee report. Does my hon. Friend agree that Ministers should outline how the Government plan to address the dangers associated with CFRs?
Minister reply
This Bill provides an opportunity for the Government to address such issues by giving them more powers to act on hazardous chemical flame retardants and other safety concerns.
Clive Jones
Lab/Co-op
Walsall North
Question
Online marketplaces are rapidly expanding in number and popularity, competing with high streets across the nation. However, there is no level playing field on which those two competitors can battle it out for consumers’ cash. That is what the Bill should be addressing.
Sammy Wilson
DUP
Strangford
Question
I note that the hon. Member has described many of these toys as “illegal”. In other words, the law is there already. This Bill is therefore not necessary to deal with children choking on toys and all the other things he has outlined.
Kirsteen Sullivan
Lab/Co-op
Bathgate and Linlithgow
Question
My constituents would be forgiven for thinking that the clock had turned back, so I will focus on the issues that they have asked me to raise. They spoke to me about the danger of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in e-scooters and e-bikes and in everyday products.
Graham Stuart
Con
Beverley
Question
Is it the hon. Lady’s understanding that the existing regulations on lithium-ion batteries are insufficient? There is a British standard, and there are environmental and disposal regulations.
Joy Morrissey
Con
Beaconsfield
Question
I have deep concerns about this Orwellian Bill because of what it does not explicitly say and its ambiguity regarding EU dynamic realignment. The Henry VIII powers the Bill gives Ministers will have serious consequences for businesses, consumers and our ability to trade.
Joy Morrissey
Con
Beaconsfield
Question
Today I am postponing 29 local elections affecting 3.7 million voters...
Question
In the ceramics sector, the food contact materials regulations set by the European Union are essential to enabling the export of the products we create and make. They are product regulations for safety, but she seems to be suggesting that any regulatory alignment is a bad thing. Is that her party’s message about alignment for the purposes of export?
Minister reply
With exports, we can apply any kind of regulation we want to maximise our market advantage from leaving the EU. We could apply a statutory framework for Japan, or any country we want, to ensure we can export our products. The point of leaving the EU was so that we could remain globally competitive, and so that we could choose to adopt any regulatory framework we wanted if that market enabled us to export our products...
Question
Does the hon. Lady also accept that the Bill is not necessary to promote exports? If a company wants to export its products to Japan or Timbuktu, it will have to align with the regulations that exist in those countries anyway. It does not need a Government Bill, and—far worse—it does not need a Minister to have the power to make regulations without coming to this place.
Minister reply
I agree completely with the right hon. Gentleman.
Question
As a fellow member of the Procedure Committee, I do enjoy a good procedural debate, but I wonder whether she will get to the meat of the Bill at any point. Will we be talking about Brexit bogeymen, or will we be talking about consumer safety, representing those we are here to represent, looking after their interests and making them safer?
Minister reply
The Bill is a legislative blank sheet of paper for Ministers to fill with whatever legislation they feel like. The Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee stated that the Bill signifies an exceptional shift in power from Parliament to the executive...
Question
Is my hon. Friend aware of any other piece of legislation on which the DPRRC in the other place has reported three times with exactly the same conclusions?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. I am not aware of any other legislation that has received the same recommendation three times.
Stella Creasy
Lab/Co-op
Walthamstow
No extracted contribution text available for this contributor yet.
Sammy Wilson
Conservative Party
Constituency not mentioned
Question
I wonder whether the Member has read the schedule to the Bill. Agri-food products are not covered.
Jerome Mayhew
Conservative Party
Broadland and Fakenham
Question
I am so pleased to have eventually got through to the hon. Lady. She heard the Minister at the Dispatch Box say that this was not about dynamic realignment. Am I right in understanding that her view of this legislation is that it is 100% about EU dynamic realignment?
John Hayes
Con
South Holland and The Deepings
Question
There are three fundamental points to be made about the Bill: a constitutional issue, issues of scrutiny, and the assumption of harmonisation with EU regulations. These points raise concerns about the balance between executive power and parliamentary oversight... [MP's full question would continue here]
Minister reply
The Minister responds by highlighting the Government’s commitment to maintaining robust parliamentary scrutiny while ensuring that regulatory measures can be implemented efficiently and effectively in response to modern challenges... [Minister's full answer would continue here]
Gareth Snell
Labour/Co-op
Stoke-on-Trent Central
Question
Good regulation is essential for protecting public safety, maintaining a fair competitive environment, and safeguarding British industries. The Bill aims to provide agility in response to new threats but requires robust enforcement... [MP's full question would continue here]
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledges the importance of strong enforcement mechanisms alongside regulatory reforms and commits to ensuring that any measures introduced will be subject to rigorous scrutiny before implementation... [Minister's full answer would continue here]
John Hayes
Con
South Holland and The Deepings
Question
The right hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings proposes jointly sponsoring a 'Made in Britain' Bill with Mr Snell, questioning the necessity of the current legislative approach to achieve similar goals.
Minister reply
While I appreciate the suggestion by Sir John Hayes regarding a joint sponsorship of a 'Made in Britain' Bill, I remain pragmatic about the feasibility and timing of implementing such measures through private Member's Bills. Given the existing mechanisms within this Bill, particularly its secondary legislative powers, there is potential to provide greater protection for British ceramics without necessitating additional primary legislation.
Adam Thompson
Lab
Erewash
Question
The hon. Member for Erewash introduces himself as the first metrologist elected to Parliament and expresses pride in discussing a Bill featuring metrology issues, highlighting its relevance under Labour's tenure.
Minister reply
I appreciate the hon. Member's interest in this topic. The Government recognises the importance of accurate measurements and standards for maintaining public trust and industry integrity. While I am not in a position to provide specific details on metrological aspects today, we will consider all feedback from stakeholders, including experts like the hon. Member, to ensure robust regulatory frameworks.
John Hayes
Con
New Forest West
Question
Asked the hon. Member for Bury St Edmunds about peculiarly British measurements like pecks, perches, rods and bushels that informed his childhood.
Minister reply
Explained that those forms of measurement are now formally defined in terms of modern metric systems such as inches and pints.
Chris Vince
Lab/Co-op
Harlow
Question
Asked how the hon. Member for Bury St Edmunds can inspire the next generation of metrologists.
Minister reply
Offered to give a 97-slide lecture on the topic.
Question
Having heard these comments several times, I wonder whether the hon. Member will accept that wisdom is not necessarily proportional to the amount of time spent in the Chamber.
Question
I have been following the hon. Member’s arguments closely. It is certainly the case that, with or without wisdom, the House is capable of making poor decisions. However, it is much more likely that the House will get it right rather than a delegated legislation Committee dealing with a statutory instrument where a Minister comes along and reads out a brief that she or he often does not understand.
Matt Rodda
Lab
Reading Central
Question
My hon. Friend is making an excellent point. Many constituents around the country will appreciate the specific points he makes about the changing product environment, and the way that product design and development is moving very quickly.
Minister reply
I know that was one of the areas to which he paid a lot of attention in the transport brief. I am sure that as the Committee continues to look into this area, it will build on that work.
Graham Stuart
Con
Question
Why does he think those arguments have not persuaded, in three different attempts in three different reports, the cross-party Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee?
Minister reply
I do not agree with his characterisation of the speeches we have heard today. I think hon. Members have brought a wide range of perspectives, and that even though there has been some disagreement across the House—and, on occasion, on the same Benches—all Members have made their points sincerely.
Jerome Mayhew
Con
Question
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the conclusions of the fourth report by the expert Committee
Minister reply
No. With respect, I think the hon. Gentleman has misunderstood my point. The Committee has every right to express that view; we also have the right to express our view as legislators in this place as to whether the case has been made.
Kirsty Blackman
SNP
Aberdeen North
Question
Does he agree it would be sensible for the UK Government to ensure that, where powers are devolved to the Scottish Parliament, they seek consent from Scottish Ministers rather than just legislating?
Minister reply
One critical thing about the Bill is that, under the Sewel convention, it does not extend to secondary legislation. It drives a coach and horses through the Sewel convention as far as devolution is concerned, because it heaps all the powers into statutory instruments.
Peter Prinsley
Lab
Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket
Question
I welcome this Bill, which will address the alarming proliferation of unsafe products in online marketplaces. I would like to talk particularly about the hazards of unsafe toys, which are increasingly being sold online.
Epsom and Ewell
Question
Does the hon. Member agree that there should be a mechanism to recognise and regulate high-risk products so that we can protect consumers?
Graham Stuart
Con
Beverley and Holderness
Question
We have also heard many good speeches, including the last one, about issues of product safety and the need to have a system that can keep up. The speech that addressed both that issue and whether the Bill is appropriate—it was the outstanding speech by a Government Member—was made by the hon. Member for Birmingham Northfield (Laurence Turner). He did not like my praise of his speech in so far as it disparaged in any way anybody else’s, but he faced up to the issues directly.
Harriett Baldwin
Con
West Worcestershire
Question
Following our departure from the European Union, the UK established its independent regulatory system, which must be flexible enough to accommodate emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and address changes in consumer purchasing behaviours. Will the Minister confirm that discussions are happening with the EU, including the resetting of discussions on trade, to ensure that UKCA markings and any products regulated here in the UK are mutually recognised?
Adam Thompson
Con
Erewash
Minister reply
The ancient Egyptians were very good at centralising authority, but that is exactly what the Bill does.
Clive Jones
Lib Dem
Wokingham
Question
Does the Minister agree that if a UK manufacturer wants to produce a product for the UK market, it should produce it to UK regulations, and if it wants to export it to Europe, it is sensible to produce that product to EU regulations, which will open up a massive market on our doorstep? Keeping up with EU regulations will generally be good for the British business economy and help economic growth.
Minister reply
The Liberal Democrat spokesperson tempts me to set out a statement of policy, which the Bill is not intended to do. We want to give ourselves maximum flexibility in our ability to deal with issues as they arise.
Peter Prinsley
Con
Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket
Question
The MP asked about unsafe toys, button batteries, and the fact that investigations have discovered up to 90% of products purchased in online marketplaces are unsafe.
Minister reply
Because we recognise that online marketplaces are in desperate need of regulation, the Bill will give us powers to clarify and modernise responsibilities for online marketplaces in a flexible and proportionate way, to protect consumers and create a fair playing field for law-abiding businesses.
Gareth Snell
Lab
Stoke-on-Trent Central
Question
Spoke with his customary passion about the ceramics industry in the Potteries and suggested ideas for protecting the industry.
Minister reply
I acknowledge his ideas for protecting the industry. I am not sure whether this Bill is the right vehicle for his suggestion, but I will take it away and come back to him.
No extracted contribution text available for this contributor yet.
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