Committee publication · Correspondence · 15 April 2026
Letter from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Business and Trade relating to a consultation on The fire safety of Domestic Upholstered Furniture, 31 March
Summary
Kate Dearden MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Business and Trade, notifies the Environmental Audit Committee of a 12-week consultation (31 March – 23 June 2026) on reforming fire safety regulations for domestic upholstered furniture. The proposal replaces the 1988 Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations with rules based on smoulder testing, reducing reliance on chemical flame retardants while maintaining safety standards, and excludes re-upholstery and second-hand furniture from sector-specific rules.
Key findings
- Government intends to implement new furniture fire safety regulations based on smoulder testing, addressing a longstanding issue and reducing uncertainty for businesses
- Smoulder test approach aligns with Environmental Audit Committee's 2019 recommendation from its inquiry into Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Life and matches EU and US practice
- Manufacturers will have free choice between component testing or composite testing, allowing flexibility without undue burden
- Re-upholstery and second-hand upholstered furniture will be moved from sector-specific regulations to General Product Safety Regulations, balancing safety with proportionality
- Consultation period runs 12 weeks ending 23 June 2026, with continued stakeholder engagement and parliamentary liaison planned
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Kate Dearden MP, Toby Perkins MP, Environmental Audit Committee, Department for Business and Trade, Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025
Notable line
“… we are determined to move forward with reform and give the sector certainty.”
Key Quotes
“The fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture, and reform of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (the FFRs), is a longstanding issue considered at length by successive Governments.”
“This approach, which was recommended by your committee following its inquiry into Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Life in 2019, is consistent with that taken in much of the EU and the United States.”
“New regulations will maintain a high level of fire safety, while meaningfully reducing the reliance on chemical flame retardants.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗