Addressing the risks from Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Environmental Audit Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 10 Apr 2025 Parliament page
Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a large, complex group of about 14,000 synthetic chemicals used in a wide variety of everyday products. For example, PFAS are used to keep food from sticking to packaging or cookware, make clothes and carpets resistant to stains, and create firefighting foam that is … Read more
22 Recommendations
16 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
2 Letters
4 Events
Activity timeline 8 events
16 Jul
2026
Correspondence
8 Jul
2026
Correspondence
6 Jul
2026
Report published
23 Apr
2026
Report published
4 Feb
2026
Oral evidence
10 Dec
2025
Oral evidence
10 Sep
2025
Oral evidence
25 Jun
2025
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
4 Feb 2026
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Emma Hardy MP · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Liz Parkes MBE · Environment Agency Marc Casale · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Matt Womersley · Environment Agency Richard Daniels · Health and Safety Executive
10 Dec 2025
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Environmental Audit Committee
David Henderson · Water UK Dr David Megson · Manchester Metropolitan University Professor Alan Boobis OBE · Imperial College London Professor Elsie Sunderland · Harvard University Professor Martyn Kirk · Australian National University Vicky Robinson · The Agricultural Industries Confederation
10 Sep 2025
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Dr Andrew Schwarz · Fluorok Dr Andy Joel · F2 Chemicals Ltd Duncan Sanders · ATG Group Professor Luisa Orsini · University of Birmingham Stephanie Metzger · Royal Society of Chemistry Stuart Ede · AGC Chemicals Europe, Ltd.
25 Jun 2025
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Andrew Spence · Britannia Fire Ltd Dr Joanna Cloy · Fidra Dr Nissanka Rajapakse · Johnson Matthey Linsey Cottrell · The Conflict and Environment Observatory Mark Hirlam · Delipac Professor Michael Depledge CBE · European Centre for Environment and Human Health
Title HC No. Published Items Response
9th Report - Addressing the risks from Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfl… HC 852 23 Apr 2026 38 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
1 result
Clear
38 Recommendation Accepted in Part
9th Report - Addressing the risks …
The Government must commit, within six months, to funding the research and development of non-incineration...
The Government must commit, within six months, to funding the research and development of non-incineration PFAS destruction technologies through UK Research and Innovation and Innovate UK. (Recommendation, Paragraph 125) 48
Government Response
The government acknowledges the role of R&D in non-incineration destruction and notes UKRI is already supporting projects. While 2026/27 funding is agreed, they commit to exploring further opportunities with UKRI to allocate funding for innovative PFAS destruction technologies from 2027/28, missing the requested six-month timeline for commitment.
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Government Response AI assessment · 38 of 22 classified
Accepted 11
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 10
Deferred 7
Not Addressed 8
Rejected 1
Total 22 recs + 16 conclusions
Correspondence 2 letters
16 Jul 2026 To committee Letter from the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs relating the Government's response to the committees report on Addressing the risks from Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), 16 July
Parliament page
8 Jul 2026 From committee Letter to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs relating the Government's response to the committees report on Addressing the risks from Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), 8 July
Parliament page