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Furniture: Fire Prevention

Asked by Kerry McCarthyLabourDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 16 March 2026UIN 118703

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, what steps his Department plans to take to improve labelling on chemical flame retardants in upholstered furniture to assist consumers and waste disposal.

Answered by Kate Dearden

The policy paper 'The fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture', published on 22 January 2025, set out that the Government is committed to delivering reforms to the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 that maintain a high level of fire safety while also facilitating a reduction in the use of chemical flame retardants (CFRs).

Since publication, the Department for Business and Trade has undertaken targeted engagement to inform next steps, including a roundtable in July 2025 that considered issues such as CFR labelling and open-flame testing. The Government will provide an update on this in due course.

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