The Poisons Act 1972 currently states that you must register with us if your business sells certain non-medicinal poisons as listed in Part II of the Poisons List.
The Government, via the Deregulation Bill (external link) are proposing to introduce new laws controlling the sale of products containing non-medicinal poisons to the general public. In particular, the requirement to register to sell for Part II Poisons will be abolished when the new laws come into force. This is part of the Government’s drive to reduce red tape on businesses. The Bill is currently before Parliament, but will not receive Royal Assent before a number of existing registrations expire.
The Association of Chief Trading Standards Officers (ACTSO) have been in discussion with the Home Office relating to the registration and enforcement in the run up to this change. ACTSO and the Home Office share the view that a pragmatic approach to these changes are required and that it is important that local authorities act as consistently as possible. As such we will follow the approach listed below:
- If your business wishes to sell the affected products we will no longer require you to register or pay us a fee.
- If your business currently sells the affected products and your registration is due to expire, you will no longer need to register with us or pay a renewal fee. We will retain your name on the register until it is no longer a requirement.
We will update this web page as and when further information becomes available as the Bill proceeds through Parliament.
Please be aware that this advice is not intended to be a definitive guide to, nor a substitute for the relevant law. Independent legal advice should therefore be sought where appropriate.