Local Government: Coronavirus

(asked on 8th July 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department (a) has issued or (b) plans to issue to local authority chief executives on ensuring adequate ventilation in council-managed buildings, whether or not with public access, to reduce the risks of transmission of covid-19 infection; to what standards local authority chief executives should (i) plan and (ii) measure such ventilation; what enforcement activity his Department plans to undertake to ensure that guidance is followed; and whether he plans to make funds available for improving standards of ventilation in those building.


Answered by
Luke Hall Portrait
Luke Hall
Minister of State (Education)
This question was answered on 13th July 2021

Public Health England has published guidance on the ventilation of indoor spaces which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-ventilation-of-indoor-spaces-to-stop-the-spread-of-coronavirus/ventilation-of-indoor-spaces-to-stop-the-spread-of-coronavirus-covid-19

The Health and Safety Executive has published guidance on ventilation and air conditioning here:
https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation/index.htm

Using this guidance, local authorities should assess the risk from Covid and implement the appropriate transmission risk controls. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to assess risks and implement the appropriate controls. HSE is the health and safety enforcing authority for local authority activities and can take proportionate enforcement action.

Council-managed buildings are advised to pay due regard to the published guidance above, alongside any sector-specific guidance

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