Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that disinfectant products sold on the market (a) meet the highest clinical standards and (b) do not make misleading and unsubstantiated claims about their efficacy.

Disinfectant products must comply with the relevant laws, depending on the products’ intended use, function, composition and how they are described and marketed. Consumer law requires traders to provide consumers with information on the main characteristics of goods. This information must be accurate and not mislead.

In May, the Office for Product Safety and Standards worked with the HSE to publish guidance for manufacturers and importers on hand cleaning and sanitising products. In order to ensure effective enforcement, the Office for Products Safety and Standards has provided training for trading standards enforcement officers on hand cleansing products and access to technical and scientific advice.

If consumers believe there has been a breach of the legislation then they should report the matter in the first instance to the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133; www.citizensadvice.org/.