Consultation on amendments to the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Overview

This online survey is asking for views on a proposed restriction on the use of four phthalates in the manufacture of medical devices and monitoring and control equipment.  This restriction is in the interests of public health and environmental protection.  These substances have long been of concern. When they are used in electrical and electronic equipment they can have a negative impact on effective recycling, human health and the environment during waste operations.

What happens next

A summary of the responses to this consultation and the Government response will be published and placed on Government websites at www.gov.uk/defra,

The summary will include a list of respondents and organisations that responded but not personal names, addresses or other contact details. However, information provided in response to this consultation document, including personal information, will be shared with the Devolved Administrations and may be subject to publication or release to other parties or to disclosure in accordance with the access to information regimes e.g. Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

 If you want information, including personal data that you provide to be treated as confidential, please say so clearly in writing when you submit your response to the consultation and explain why you need these details to be kept confidential.

If we receive a request for disclosure under the FOIA, we will take full account of your explanation, but due to the law we cannot provide an assurance that confidentiality can be maintained in all circumstances. An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, of itself, be regarded as a confidentiality request.

Defra is the data controller in respect of any personal data that you provide, and Defra’s Personal Information Charter, which gives details of your rights in respect of the handling of your personal data, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-foodrural-affairs/about/personal-information-charter

 Defra has contracted the Office of Public Management Ltd, trading as Traverse, to support the analysis of responses to this consultation. Traverse will treat personal data they receive and analyse as confidential and will only have access to the response data for the period of the analysis, following which the data will be permanently removed from their system and supplied to Defra. Please find further information in the accompanying Privacy Notice for this consultation.